


Ocean Blue

by AgentExile



Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: (and Ten runs a cocktail beach bar because why not), Alternate Universe - Lifeguards, Art Student Taeyong, Beach Holidays, Falling In Love, Fluff, Lifeguard!Jaehyun, Lifeguard!Johnny, Light Angst, M/M, Mild Sexual Content, Past Character Death, Romance, Summer Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-14
Updated: 2018-09-01
Packaged: 2019-06-10 10:11:31
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 22,806
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15289254
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AgentExile/pseuds/AgentExile
Summary: Taeyong offers to take his cousin Mark and his best friend away for a holiday in the sun, eager to give his aunt and uncle, who gave up everything to raise him, a summer to themselves.He expects to get some artwork done, keep a mild eye on his cousin, and maybe indulge in the occasional cocktail.He doesn’t plan on crashing head first into the life of heartthrob lifeguard Jaehyun, who can’t understand why the beautiful boy on the beach won’t go near the water.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> A/N) This is my summer fic for this year! I’m going to be updating one chapter a week for eight weeks. I hope you guys enjoy it <3  
> Ages not canon (if you’ve read my fics before you know I just can’t do it). And I’m putting a content warning bc safety first xx  
> C/W: Past character death (TY’s an orphan), Phobia

‘I still don’t understand why you have to come with us! We’re sixteen, not six.’

   Taeyong rolled his eyes, zipping up his case and turning to his cousin. ‘Because your mom and dad don’t want you running around wreaking havoc on the innocent island of Jeju. Don’t worry, I promise I won’t embarrass you in front of Donghyuck.’

   Mark huffed, before turning on his heel and stalking out of the room.

   In his wake, Taeyong smiled. He’d missed his cousin. In the two years since he’d left for college, he’d found his room strangely empty without Mark, replaced instead by his roommate Yuta who spent at least half the time at his boyfriend’s dorm instead. He looked around at the room they’d shared for nearly a decade – it was definitely Mark’s room now. Taeyong’s music posters had come with him to college, and his massive Klimt prints had been moved down to the living room, earning a look of great justice from his aunt, who had always wanted them on show.

   A few of his other art prints were stacked up in their frames by his bed. He flicked through them, one by one, until he found one of his own works – the last before he’d gone to college. It was a dark, angry painting, melancholy blue confused with the aggressive lines of his brushstrokes. He’d done a thousand-and-one paintings of the sea, but it was a very long time since he’d been there.

   His aunt and uncle, when they’d moved back to Korea, had taken the family all the way to central Seoul. They hadn’t been able to afford many holidays while he and Mark were growing up – they didn’t earn crazy money and the shock of raising an extra child they’d never planned on must have cost them.

   Taeyong knew he’d cost _all_ of them. Mark had gone from the luxuries of an only-child to sharing everything with him, from his room to his clothes. Once, shortly after his eighteenth birthday, Taeyong had sat down with Mark and thanked him for sharing his parents. Mark, of course, had grown instantly uncomfortable and changed the subject in a second, but Taeyong hoped that he had heard him.

   At the airport, though, he was the one earning gratitude.

   ‘Thank you so much, Taeyong, you have no idea,’ his aunt said, hugging him so tightly that he had to struggle for breath.

   ‘It’s cool,’ he said, extricating himself and smiling to her. ‘Don’t worry about Mark and Hyuck, I’ll keep an eye on them.’

   ‘Good luck, sweetie, that Donghyuck has no fear. Lord only knows what they’ll get up to without an adult present.’

   ‘Am I not an adult?’ said Taeyong, standing up a little taller and puffing out his chest dramatically.

   His aunt looked at him with an expression of such love that he almost turned red. ‘I suppose you are now. When did you get so grown up? And so handsome?’ she added, reaching up to pinch his cheek, but he twisted away with a laugh.

   ‘Stop it,’ he mumbled shyly.

   ‘You don’t have to be their sentinel, hun, make sure you have some fun yourself. I worry about you – you work too hard. I heard the nightlife is good in Jeju. Maybe you could go out… meet a nice guy - ’

   Taeyong rolled his eyes with the air that they’d had this conversation a thousand times. ‘Is it still so hard to believe that I actually enjoy being single?’

   ‘Just a suggestion,’ she said, ‘now go have fun.’

   Taeyong had no intention of finding a nice guy in Jeju. He had no intention of finding any guy. He was busy as hell with college work and he wasn’t lying – he _did_ like being single. He liked being single when Yuta came back to the dorm moping because Sicheng hadn’t messaged him all day, or when Yukhei complained that the guy from the bar the other night hadn’t called him yet. He liked being single when he looked at his calendar and saw nothing but freedom. He liked being single when it was hot in the summer and he didn’t have to deal with a living hot water bottle strewn all over him in bed.

   Yes, he was quite happy the way he was.

*

   Jung Jaehyun couldn’t remember a time that he wasn’t by the sea. Every summer growing up he’d occupied his grandparents’ condo on the coast, and he’d chosen Busan for college just for the beaches. Now, every holiday, he came to Jeju to earn some cash and catch some waves.

   This Monday morning, the hottest day of the summer so far, found him on duty with his best friend, up on their high seats, and there was nowhere he’d rather be in the entire world.

   ‘That one.’

   ‘No chance,’ said Jaehyun, shaking his head at Johnny.

   ‘That one?’

   ‘Even less chance.’

   Johnny threw a candy, still in its wrapper, directly at his head. Jaehyun caught it easily. ‘Thanks, asshole,’ he said, peeling away the plastic and popping it in his mouth.

   ‘That one?’

   The game was becoming so boring that Jaehyun wanted to tell him to shut the fuck up. Johnny seemed to have made it his mission this year to _get him laid_. It was their second season together on Jeju, and Johnny had been grossly affronted when he’d discovered Jaehyun didn’t have sex once last year on the island. He’d just shrugged – he had college for that, this special place was for the sea and nothing else.

   But Johnny wasn’t having that, and now he kept pointing at every single minorly good-looking guy that stepped on the sand.

   ‘No,’ he said, without even looking.

   ‘Seriously, Jae, _that one_.’

   Curiosity beating his desire to look disinterested, Jaehyun turned, and he almost choked on the candy that Johnny had given him.

   ‘Don’t tell me you wouldn’t tap that.’

   Jaehyun ignored him, staring at the boy who’d stepped out onto the sand with wide, astonished eyes.

   It was difficult to tell from the distance, but Jaehyun was already certain that he was just about the prettiest boy he’d ever seen. Not sexy, per-se, just… beautiful. He was way too covered up for the beach, one of the only people on the mile-long stretch wearing a shirt. It was a floaty, pale blue, embroidered thing with long, billowing sleeves that extended past his fingers. He was, at least, wearing shorts – shorts that made his slender frame look even smaller, enticingly delicate as he picked his way across the sand.

   ‘Earth to Jae,’ said Johnny, throwing another candy at his head. It hit him, this time, square on the temple.

   ‘Ow, _what_ , Johnny?’ Jaehyun said, rounding on him.

   ‘So?’ Johnny said smugly.

   Jaehyun looked back at the boy on the beach. ‘He’s pretty,’ he said. It was the truth.

   ‘ _Pretty_?’ Johnny derided. ‘He’s hot as fuck. Go say hi to him.’

   ‘Nah,’ he said.

   ‘ _What_?’

   ‘He’s there with his brothers, look,’ Jaehyun jerked his head back at the boy. ‘His parents will probably show up in a minute. I don’t make a habit of being chased away by _moms_.’

   But he didn’t stop looking.

   He was transfixing – the sort of beautiful that came along every once in a blue moon. And it wasn’t just his face. There was something about the way he moved, graceful like a dancer and _careful_ , as though every step was planned in detail. His hair was dyed, a pretty dark honey, and it kept blowing in his face with the Jeju breeze. Each time, fine, delicate fingers moved to sweep it away, exposing eyes that Jaehyun didn’t need to see up close to recognise as special.

   ‘Mark!’ the stranger shouted, turning slightly to look at the two boys that Jaehyun had guessed were his younger brothers.

   ‘Not a parent in sight, Jae, go talk to him.’

   ‘No.’

   His heart was beating very fast.

   Everyone at college knew that Jaehyun usually got what he wanted. Whether it was the captaincy of a sports team, or the highest grade in a class, or the number of the sexiest guy at the bar, he usually got it.

   And one minute was all it took to know that he _wanted_ him.

   For the first time in a long time, he felt… _nervous_.    

   He knew that he was good-looking – it wasn’t often that he thought twice about asking a guy out. But this one? This one had to be out of his league. Not just because he was so striking, but because he seemed too well-put-together. Jaehyun was rough and ready; he wore boardshorts and only put on a shirt if they were going to a club; he liked provocation, unsubtlety, knowing that his directness was appealing to most people.

   He just had a feeling that it wouldn’t work with this guy.

   One glance told him that this boy needed to be _wooed_.

   And that wasn’t his style.

   ‘Come _on_ , Jae, I’m bored. I wanna see how long it takes before he’s - ’

   ‘Shut up, Johnny,’ Jaehyun interrupted. Already, he didn’t want to hear it. He didn’t want to hear Johnny taint this splash of perfection with innuendo.

   ‘When did you get so boring?’ Johnny muttered.

   ‘Anyway, we’re on duty.’

   ‘Yeah, yeah,’ his friend said moodily.

   Jaehyun tried to focus back on the water, but he couldn’t stop fucking _looking_.  

   He watched as the two younger boys ran off, down to the seafront, shoving each other as they went, leaving the older alone and loitering. He watched as, after a moment, he dropped his bag and settled down a towel to sit on, crossing his legs like a child. He watched as he pulled out a book, and then a small tin case.

   ‘What’s he doing?’ Johnny asked, apparently equally distracted.

   ‘Watch the water, idiot,’ said Jaehyun.

   ‘ _You’re_ watching him.’

   ‘He’s… sketching.’

   The boy had poorer posture sitting down, back hunching over as he looked at his paper. He had a strange way of holding his pencils, seeming to curve his entire arm around the page with his hand pointing back to himself, and he kept his head very low, as though he subconsciously didn’t want anyone to see what he was doing.

   ‘If you don’t ask him out, I will,’ Johnny said ominously.

   Jaehyun snorted. He knew that it was a ploy – Johnny was madly in love with Ten from the beach cocktail bar.

   Finally, because it was clear that his friend wasn’t going to do his job for him, Jaehyun tore his eyes away.

   He looked back to the ocean, the beautiful stretch of blue that meant more to him than anything else in the world.

   It didn’t matter about the most beautiful face he’d ever seen.

   Tomorrow he’d be gone, and the sea would still be there.

   The ocean was _his_ lover.

*

   Tomorrow was a better day.

   Jaehyun and Johnny had the day off, and they were down by the volleyball nets.

   Both of them were yawning – they’d been up since before sunrise, wanting to get down to catch the morning surf before the tourists showed up and made it impossible. Now, the southern beach lifeguards wanted to have a volleyball tournament, which Johnny had gone right ahead and signed them up for despite the fact that Jaehyun was inclined more towards a power nap.

   ‘Can you get me a drink, Jae?’ Johnny asked.

   ‘Get your own,’ said Jaehyun, rolling his eyes. ‘I’m not your boyfriend.’

   ‘I can’t go to the bar. Me and Ten had a fight last night.’

   ‘Since when?’ Jaehyun raised his eyebrows. ‘You seemed fine at the party.’

   ‘Just get me a Miami Vice, will you?’

   ‘Fine,’ Jaehyun muttered, then he turned when he was halfway across the sand. ‘You’re going to start drinking at midday?’

   ‘It’s summer, Jae, that’s what we do!’ Johnny yelled back.

   He rolled his eyes for the second time, trudging his way up to the beach hut.

   Ten’s bar was the only place on the stretch that served alcohol, which meant that the queue always snaked out along the promenade. Jaehyun, though, nudged his way past the crowd and up to the bar, leaning across and yelling out for Ten.

   ‘Get in line, bitch,’ said Ten, pulling a face.

   ‘ _Please_ , Ten. Can you get me an MV?’

   ‘No, I’m busy,’ he said, turning back to his customers.

   ‘Oh come on, just because you had a fight with Johnny don’t take it out on me!’ he baited, hoping that Ten would make him a drink just to get rid of him.

   Ten, however, looked at him in surprise. ‘I had a fight with Johnny?’ He narrowed his eyes. ‘Did he say that?’

   ‘Well… yeah…’

   ‘What the fuck?’ Ten put down his cocktail shaker, leaning on the bar. ‘When did he say that?’

   Jaehyun opened his mouth to speak, but then Ten glanced away again.

   ‘Sorry sweet-pea,’ he said, quickly pouring a drink over ice and pushing it across the bar to the customer who’d obviously been waiting.

   ‘Thanks,’ a small voice. A voice that Jaehyun knew almost instantly who it belonged to without having to look.

   The boy turned, drink in hand, and walked straight into him.

   ‘Oh shit!’ he gasped, and Jaehyun automatically reached out an arm to catch him.

   He was small, up close, a few inches shorter than Jaehyun but made smaller by his slender frame. He was also fucking breath-taking.

   ‘I’m sorry!’

   ‘It’s alright,’ Jaehyun said quickly, almost stuttering, as the beautiful stranger reached out as though to brush the spilt drink away before realising that Jaehyun wasn’t wearing a shirt and the icy concoction was running down his bare chest. He withdrew his hand, blushing furiously.

   Jaehyun’s nerves evaporated.

   ‘I wasn’t looking, I’m sorry,’ the guy said, and his voice was so soft, almost as pretty as his face.

   ‘No harm no foul,’ Jaehyun smiled, not missing the fact that the stranger kept glancing at his body.

   Well, he _had_ worked hard on it.

   ‘I haven’t seen you around here before,’ Jaehyun lied, ‘what’s your name?’

   ‘Oh, I er – I… Taeyong,’ he swallowed.

   ‘Ten, my _favourite barman in the entire world_ ,’ he turned to the bar, ‘ _please_ make Taeyong another drink. On me.’

   ‘You don’t have to, it was my fault,’ said Taeyong.

   ‘Oh it’s not because you spilled it,’ Jaehyun tilted his head to the side, ‘I just really want to buy you a drink.’

   Taeyong smiled, and Jaehyun couldn’t stop looking at the sweet pink flush that occupied his cheeks. ‘Okay,’ he said, shifting shyly.

   ‘Here,’ said Jaehyun. He brushed his fingers across the front of Taeyong’s shirt, where a little of the ice had scattered. He took the care to linger at the loose-bowed collar, catching one of the ribbons between his fingers.

   ‘You can tell Johnny that I want a _word_ with him about using me in his little schemes,’ Ten interrupted the moment, glaring across at the volleyball nets darkly and pushing the new drink across the bar.

   Jaehyun followed his gaze. 

   Johnny was leant against one of the net-posts, smiling slyly.

   The asshole had set him up.

   And Jaehyun had never been happier about it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [Twitter](https://twitter.com/taemayy)   
>  [Curiouscat](https://curiouscat.me/mayviolet)


	2. Chapter 2

   Taeyong sipped his drink through a small, spiral straw, watching Jung Jaehyun.

   It was his fourth day on the beach, and his third drinking a cocktail that his new favourite lifeguard had bought for him.

   Jaehyun was on duty at the station, which seemed to mean that he spent most of his time messing around, leaning over the veranda of the small beach hut, interrupting his fun only to give the occasional tourist directions.

   ‘Me and Hyuck are gonna go into town, hyung.’

   Taeyong turned around in surprise, pulled out of his reverie. ‘Huh?’

   Mark’s eyes were exasperated, glancing over at the lifeguard station before looking back at him. ‘We’re going to town.’

   ‘Oh, oh I should come with you,’ Taeyong made to stand up.

   ‘Sit _down_ , hyung,’ Mark groaned, ‘we’re not little kids. Give us a break.’

   ‘Okay,’ Taeyong said automatically, but only because he wanted to stay on the beach.

   He really wanted to stay on the beach.

   In fact, he wanted to stay on the beach all summer.

   He watched as Jaehyun jumped over the veranda, stretching out and looking around.

   For him.

   _For me_ , Taeyong thought, and he knew that the smile showed on his face.

   Jaehyun spotted him, then started to walk over.

   He was so fucking hot. And exactly Taeyong’s type.

   He’d always gone for guys that were the opposite of him. Taeyong knew that he was small, that he was soft – if people complimented him, it was usually to call him _cute_. He didn’t mind – he liked it. He liked it a lot. Which probably went a long way towards explaining why he went for guys who looked like they could lift him up with one hand, who could wrap him in their arms and make him feel small and protected.

   It was a fine line, though.

   Taeyong didn’t like aggression. He didn’t like loud guys, or obnoxious guys, or loutish guys. Which counted out most of them who matched his physical preferences.

   But maybe not this one.

   Jaehyun was bigger than him, but not so tall as to be intimidating. He was fit, but in the kind of way that suggested he was genuinely _active_ rather than addicted to the gym. He was confident, charming, but it never felt like he was playing with him – like he was bringing out the sweet-talk to try and get into his pants – he just seemed _nice_.

   Not that Taeyong was stupid.

   He knew that it might be an act, if at least a good one.

   So he kept his expectations low, let him buy him drinks, let him play around with his flattery, but always kept one eye focussed on reality.

*

   Another day later, and Jaehyun was sprawled back on the sand, watching Taeyong draw. It was his day off, and he was taking full advantage of it. He was struggling to get a read on Taeyong, his beautiful stranger, but the fact that he let him sit there and watch him had to be progress.

   ‘Okay, question time. Me then you, yeah?’ he said. It already felt like he’d waited a lifetime to start asking Taeyong questions.

   ‘Can I draw while we talk?’

   Jaehyun shrugged. ‘Yeah, yeah sure.’

   Taeyong looked up at him, then down at his sketchbook, hand flitting across the page.

   ‘Where are you at college? What do you study?’ Jaehyun asked.

   A small smile crept onto Taeyong’s lips. ‘That’s two questions.’

   ‘You can have a bonus one.’

   ‘Korea National,’ said Taeyong, ‘University of Arts. I’m studying Fine Art.’

   _Surprise, surprise_.

   ‘What about you? What do you study?’

   ‘I’m in Busan. Sports Science. Do you have a boyfriend?’ he asked without pause, and he watched the way that Taeyong’s pencil wavered.

   ‘That’s a personal question,’ he said shyly, without looking up.

   ‘Okay, forget that. How come you’re taking care of your brothers? Aren’t your parents here too?’

   Taeyong glanced at Mark and Donghyuck. They were currently playing video games, both laying back on towels, hands occupied with consoles as though an entire stretch of sand and a vast ocean wasn’t waiting for their attention. ‘They’re not my brothers,’ he said, ‘Mark’s my cousin. And Donghyuck is his friend.’

   ‘So…?’

   ‘My aunt and uncle don’t get much time off,’ he said, ‘I thought if I took Mark away for the summer, they’d get some time alone.’

   ‘Fair enough,’ said Jaehyun. ‘Do you have a boyfriend?’

   ‘It’s my turn,’ said Taeyong, but the smile couldn’t be concealed by the angle anymore, ‘and besides, you already asked that one.’

   ‘Okay, I’ll wait,’ said Jaehyun, shifting his angle slightly to get a better look at Taeyong. He couldn’t stop looking at him. The lines of his face were like a sculpture – fascinating – he just wanted to stroke his fingertips along them.

   ‘Who’s that guy?’ Taeyong inclined his head.

   Jaehyun turned around, then gestured rudely at Johnny. He was watching them, chatting to a couple of the other lifeguards and pointing in their direction. ‘That’s my best friend, Johnny,’ he said, turning back and shaking his head, ‘ignore him. He’s just not used to seeing guys that look like you outside of his computer.’

   ‘Guys that look like me?’ Taeyong blushed.

   ‘Beautiful ones,’ said Jaehyun. After a second, he plucked up the courage to extend his fingers and brush back Taeyong’s hair from his eyes. It was very soft, almost like touching a feather. _God_ he loved the way that Taeyong flushed – the way that his whole face turned pink, the way that he hunched up his shoulders slightly and lifted a hand to cover one of his cheeks.

   ‘You think I’m beautiful?’

   ‘Ah, I think it’s _my_ turn to ask a question, actually,’ said Jaehyun, and he withdrew his hand. ‘Are you doing anything tonight?’

   Taeyong met his eyes, then said carefully, ‘I have to take care of Mark and Hyuck.’

   ‘Bring them along. We’re having a beach party. No age limit. I’ll tell Ten not to serve them.’

   Taeyong looked back at his charges.

   ‘Come on, TY, they’re teenagers. Let them live a little.’ Jaehyun didn’t miss the way that he smiled at the initials.

   ‘What was your question again?’

   ‘Are you doing anything tonight?’

   Taeyong cocked his head to the side. ‘I’m busy. Got a date.’

   ‘Oh really?’ Jaehyun said. He shifted a little closer, not so that he was touching him, but enough that the arm he was leaning on could create a frame around his back. ‘Who’s the lucky guy?’

   ‘Some lifeguard,’ he said, tilting in ever so slightly to Jaehyun’s space, accepting the shape he’d made around him.

   ‘Cool. See you there, pretty boy,’ said Jaehyun, kissing his cheek and jumping up.

   ‘ _Hey_!’ Taeyong pouted, but he was already jogging back to his friends, not even turning around, giving Johnny a shove as he returned to the volleyball courts.

   Taeyong shook his head to himself, concentrating back on his sketchbook.

   He liked being single. He liked things the way they were.

   But he could already tell that Jung Jaehyun was going to test his resolve.

*

   This beach was clearly no stranger to parties.

   There were driftwood benches dotted across the sand, awnings set up with fairy lights strewn from their posts, a blazing fire lighting up the evening sky red and glowing. There were also _people_. A lot of people. As he picked his way among the crowd, Taeyong wondered whether they were locals or tourists or all just seasonal workers like Jaehyun and his friends.

   He’d spent a lot of time getting ready for the night. More time than he’d care to admit.

   ‘Have you got your phone?’ he asked Mark.

   ‘Yeah, yeah,’ his cousin rolled his eyes. ‘C’mon, Hyuck, let’s go.’

   Taeyong watched them run off amongst the party, standing awkwardly by himself.

   He was used to being alone – he loved his solitude, the time that he could dedicate to his art. But it was different when he was _looking_ for someone. He searched around nervously, but it was difficult to spot faces in the dark.

   Then, just when he was thinking that maybe the whole thing had been a bad idea, an arm wrapped around his waist.

   He jumped, twisting quickly.

   ‘You came,’ Jaehyun smiled.

   Relief.

   ‘You’re wearing a shirt,’ Taeyong remarked. It was the first time he’d seen him dressed properly, in a linen button-down that made him look very unlike the Jaehyun he’d met on the beach before. Clothed, he gave off a different aura, and Taeyong had the sudden impression that he seemed… well off. Almost preppy. His hair was less messy, parted, and he carried himself with a confidence that seemed less cocky and more magnetic.

   ‘It happens on occasion,’ said Jaehyun, and Taeyong noticed that he hadn’t moved the hand from his waist. ‘But don’t get used to it.’

   ‘What if I like it?’

   ‘Do you?’ Jaehyun gave him a dazzling smile. A storybook smile.

   ‘Hmm, I’m not sure yet. I need more data.’ 

   ‘You look lovely,’ said Jaehyun, ‘the prettiest boy on the beach.’

   ‘Thanks,’ Taeyong mumbled. He ignored the natural impulse to argue, throw out a _no-I’m-not_. His aunt had taught him to try to accept compliments with grace, to let them fill him with delight instead of arguing with them.

   ‘Can I get you a drink?’

   ‘Sure.’

   Jaehyun walked him to the bar, hand shifting a little from his waist to the small of his back. The touch was gentle, barely there, but Taeyong liked it. He liked the glances that a few people threw their way, guys and girls, including a few dirty looks in his direction. Jaehyun was obviously… popular.

   ‘Where’s Ten?’ Jaehyun asked the guy at the bar, looking around.

   Taeyong almost laughed at the expression on the guy’s face – he looked… _long-suffering_. ‘Over there,’ he said, nodding to his right.

   Out on the decking, the boy from the bar, the pixielike one who’d called him sweet-pea, was locked at the lips with the friend that he always saw with Jaehyun. Johnny’s hands didn’t seem to give much consideration for the fact that they were in public.

   Taeyong looked away quickly.

   ‘Honestly,’ Jaehyun rolled his eyes.

   ‘You reckon they’d hire me at the station instead?’ the guy sighed.

   ‘Be careful what you wish for – I’m stuck with Johnny all day,’ said Jaehyun. ‘Mai Tai for me, mate. What do you want to drink, TY?’

   ‘What’s good?’

   ‘Sex on the Beach?’ suggested Jaehyun, and Taeyong gave him a nudge, blushing.

   ‘ _Don’t_!’

   ‘What?’ Jaehyun said innocently. ‘You don’t like vodka?’

   ‘I’ll have the same as you.’

   ‘It might be a bit strong for you, babe,’ said Jaehyun, and the pet-name made Taeyong’s heart flutter. ‘You look like one real drink would knock you over.’

   Well, he wasn’t wrong. Taeyong wasn’t famed for his durability.

   ‘How about something light? Something sweet?’

   ‘Yeah,’ Taeyong smiled. He didn’t really want to get drunk anyway. He liked the taste of cocktails, the sweetness and fruit and the sharp hit of alcohol. But he didn’t like being drunk all that much. Especially not when he was around people he didn’t know that well.

   He took the drink that Jaehyun handed him, and they walked together back to the party.

   It was great.

   Better than college parties.

   A sound system blared out music, but not so loud that you couldn’t talk. Some people danced, some people kicked a football around – most everybody drank. Nobody seemed that bothered about what other people were doing; Taeyong didn’t feel like there was someone judging his every move the way that he did at college. For a while, they sat with Jaehyun’s friends, and he introduced Taeyong to all of them, including Johnny and Ten, who emerged from nowhere looking distinctly ruffled.

   ‘I’ve got the boards in the truck,’ said Johnny. ‘What do you say… when this lot clear off?’

   ‘I’m gonna walk TY home later,’ Jaehyun said, ‘and I’m on the morning shift tomorrow.’

   ‘That’s never stopped you before,’ Johnny prodded.

   ‘And I’ve already had three drinks,’ he lamented.

   ‘What’s he talking about?’ Taeyong asked.

   Jaehyun turned to him. ‘Night-surfing.’

   Taeyong raised his eyebrows in surprise. ‘That’s… that’s a thing? Isn’t it dangerous?’

   ‘Oh bless him,’ Johnny snickered, but Jaehyun hit him hard on the shoulder.

   ‘Leave him alone, asshole,’ he said, ‘not everyone grows up by the sea.’

   Taeyong looked down.

   Actually, he _had_.

   Before he’d moved to Seoul, he’d lived on the coast. He hadn’t left until he was eight-years-old. More than once, from when he was tiny, he’d sat out on a paddle-board, his dad’s arms around him, watching his mom surf.

   ‘Not really,’ Jaehyun said, looking back to Taeyong. His arm was settled lazily across his shoulders. ‘We know these waves like we know ourselves. And we stick together. It’s nice – you can surf without beginners or swimmers getting in the way.’

   Taeyong settled a little. He knew that his unease about the water was just that – _his_ unease, but he couldn’t help but worry about other people, too. ‘How do you see?’

   ‘We put the truck headlights on,’ Jaehyun explained.

   ‘Can I watch one night?’ asked Taeyong. An idea had flittered through his brain, the canvas already colouring in his mind’s eye. He could imagine white headlights illuminating the top of waves, the glint of a board or a watch-face catching the light. It would be a dark painting, more about the negative space, little more than white making up the actual feature.

   ‘Sure,’ said Jaehyun, looking excited. ‘You wanna go for a walk?’ he asked.

   Taeyong smiled. ‘Yeah, okay.’

   They both ignored the fact that Ten wolf-whistled.

   Jaehyun took his hand, pulling him to his feet, before slotting his arm back over his shoulders again and steering him a little way down to the waterfront.

   ‘Can we - ’ Taeyong started, eyes flickering out across the dark sea, ‘can we stay a bit back? I don’t want to get these shoes wet.’

   ‘Of course,’ Jaehyun shrugged.

   They walked way down the beach, far enough that the sound of the party was muffled, replaced by the gentle rhythm of waves. For a while, they just listened. As they walked, Taeyong found himself nestling in a little close to Jaehyun’s side; even in the summer, there was a breeze coming off the water.

   ‘So you’re really close with your cousin?’ Jaehyun asked after a while. ‘I can’t imagine taking two teenagers away on holiday.’

   Taeyong shrugged. ‘Mark’s like my brother,’ he said. ‘And they’re old enough not to be any trouble. It’s nice for me, too, to get a vacation.’

   ‘You don’t get away often?’ Jaehyun inquired.

   Taeyong shook his head. ‘Not so much. We didn’t have a lot of spare money, when I was growing up, and I’m a bit of a homebody, anyway.’

   ‘I don’t spend any time indoors,’ said Jaehyun, ‘what do you _do_?’

   Taeyong laughed softly. ‘I paint. And I draw. And I sculpt, sometimes. I like taking care of my plants – you should see my dorm room, it’s covered in _green_. Cooking, too, if everything’s not broken in the building kitchen, for once. I know it’s boring. It’s not surfing or hanging out on the beach or - ’

   ‘I like it,’ said Jaehyun, squeezing his shoulders, ‘it’s cute.’

   They walked a little further, before Jaehyun stopped and turned.

   ‘If you look back from here, you can see all the way down the stretch.’

   He put both hands on Taeyong’s waist, turning him to the right angle to look. As Taeyong looked back, he rested his chin down on his shoulder, sliding his arms around him from behind now.

   Taeyong settled back into him.

   He hadn’t come here looking for a fling, but he couldn’t help himself.

   Jaehyun was good-looking and charming and his arms were _very_ nice to be held in.

   With a steadying breath, he turned his head a little, just the ten percent that would indicate to Jaehyun that it was okay to do the rest. He didn’t need long to get the message – it was like he’d been waiting for it.

   Jaehyun closed the gap to kiss him, lips brushing gently against his. Then, when Taeyong nudged his face forwards for more, he kissed him properly. Taeyong turned in his arms for a better angle, Jaehyun’s tongue teasing between his lips for entry. He let him deepen the kiss, melting in against his body as Jaehyun slid his hands down, hooking his thumbs into his back belt-loops. Taeyong’s fingers laced lightly into the front of his shirt, not wanting him to pull away just yet. He could taste rum in Jaehyun’s kiss, and some kind of strong liqueur that left a buzz on his tongue when Jaehyun’s rolled over it.

   When they broke apart, the sound of their breathing married in the rush of the sea. The distant party was still going on, but they had eyes only for each other.

   ‘You know, I wasn’t expecting summer to get this interesting,’ Jaehyun murmured, planting another soft kiss at the corner of his lips.

   ‘Me neither,’ Taeyong smiled. ‘I don’t usually kiss on the first date.’

   ‘Well it’s not _really_ our first date. There was _yesterday_ on the beach, and the day before on the beach, and - ’

   ‘And tomorrow on the beach?’ Taeyong suggested, pulling away a little and letting Jaehyun take his hand instead.

   ‘I’ve got the morning shift. In the afternoon, I’ll show you around the island a bit. There are some great trails around here, and – and I’m guessing you don’t hike,’ he said with a laugh at his own suggestion.

   ‘I could give it a go,’ said Taeyong, ‘I’m not _completely_ allergic to the outdoors.’

   ‘ _Or_ , there’s a whole load of stuff I could show you on the water. We can do kayaking, or go out on one of my mate’s boats, or I could teach you how to surf.’

   ‘Maybe something on the sand,’ Taeyong laughed nervously. ‘I don’t really have the clothes for sport.’

   Jaehyun, luckily, had just decided that it had been far too long since his last drink. ‘Let’s go to the bar,’ he said.

   Taeyong was glad that he’d changed the subject.

   He just didn’t know how to tell a man who clearly lived for the sea that the last thing he wanted in the entire world was to get out on the water.    

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [Twitter](https://twitter.com/taemayy)   
>  [Curiouscat](https://curiouscat.me/mayviolet)


	3. Chapter 3

Walking around the island with Jaehyun, Taeyong thought, was rather like walking around the island with a prince of the realm.

   Everyone knew him.

   And everyone loved him.

   It seemed that the two of them couldn’t cross five metres without being stopped by somebody, and it struck Taeyong that it was taking them a rather long time to make headway. First there was a group of girls that announced that Jaehyun absolutely had to come to some club that night; then there were three men in wetsuits carrying diving cylinders, who tried to bully him into spending the afternoon with them; even a group of European tourists stopped them on the promenade – apparently they remembered the beach’s most popular lifeguard from last year.

   But Jaehyun wasn’t going to be side-tracked. He had promised to take Taeyong to see his favourite place on the island.

   A surprise, apparently.

   Whether or not they’d ever get there was another question.

   ‘Here, we’ll take Johnny’s truck,’ he said, waving to a couple of surfers who were unloading their boards in the same lot.

   ‘We’re driving?’ Taeyong asked curiously. He’d thought that anywhere Jaehyun loved must involve the beach.

   ‘Just a little way inland,’ Jaehyun smiled. ‘You’ll love it.’

   Taeyong nodded, a little relieved. He’d been nervous that Jaehyun was going to want to do something on the water.

   Inland was good.

   Inland was safe.

   They didn’t drive for long – only around half an hour, during which Jaehyun turned the radio up to full volume and sang along with equal commitment. Taeyong watched him, tucking his feet up onto the seat with his knees against his chest, smile playing around his lips. It was very difficult not to smile around Jaehyun.

   ‘Here we go,’ said Jaehyun, pulling the truck over onto the side of the road.

   ‘I don’t think we’re supposed to stop here,’ said Taeyong, looking around.

   The road was lined on both sides with fairly dense woodland, vibrant greenery that Taeyong could not believe existed so close to the resort beaches.

   ‘Don’t worry, I know what I’m doing,’ Jaehyun laughed, walking around the truck and opening his door for him. He took his hand, then caught a grip on his hips to help him down the considerable jump to the ground. Perhaps it was an excuse to get a hold on his waist, because he didn’t let go afterwards, but Taeyong wasn’t complaining.

   He let Jaehyun guide him straight into the trees.

   ‘I’m not dressed for trekking,’ Taeyong said anxiously.

   ‘It’s not far,’ he promised, then added playfully, ‘I can carry you if you want?’

   Taeyong squirmed away when his grip tightened, swatting at his arm gently. ‘Well maybe I _don’t_ want,’ he said with mock disdain. ‘But if I fall, you’ll catch me, right?’ he added softly, concentrating on the uneven terrain, careful to avoid any tree roots.

   ‘Of course,’ said Jaehyun, settling his hand back on his waist. ‘I’ll keep you safe.’

   The walk was around ten minutes, though they didn’t actually go very far – it just took Taeyong a considerable amount of time to pick his way among the trees.

   ‘You know, the first time I saw you on the beach, I loved how careful you were,’ Jaehyun said, grabbing his hips tighter when he stumbled for the third time. ‘It was like you planned every step in your head before taking it.’

   Taeyong turned around, letting him pull him close enough to kiss him, but he lifted a finger between them and settled it on Jaehyun’s lips before they could touch his. ‘I thought the first time you saw me was at the bar?’

   Jaehyun made a non-committal noise. ‘I _may_ have seen you the day before.’

   ‘So that was a play? Making me spill my drink?’ Taeyong asked, but he didn’t look upset.

   ‘No, no,’ Jaehyun said quickly, ‘that was an accident. A happy coincidence.’

   _Johnny_ _being the architect of coincidence._

‘I’d been too nervous to ask you out the day before.’

   ‘Yeah right,’ Taeyong said, ‘I bet you’ve never been turned down in your life.’

   ‘Well I’ve never seen a boy as beautiful as you in my life,’ Jaehyun shrugged. ‘I didn’t know how it would go.’

   Taeyong opened his mouth to speak, but Jaehyun walked him a few steps backwards very fast, holding him carefully, before saying –

   ‘Turn around.’

   Taeyong turned, and his heart skipped a beat.

   He was stood at the edge of a ridge, looking down on the sheer drop into a valley. The walls of the passage were swaddled in moss, with strange trees growing out at angles desperate to reach the sky. There was water trickling in a steady stream down the concave, stemming from somewhere around a twisting bend in the vale.

   ‘Don’t let go,’ he said, taking a step back even though Jaehyun’s hands were secure on his waist. He still felt safer, back against his chest.

   ‘I’ve got you,’ Jaehyun murmured, kissing his temple. ‘ _This_ is my favourite place on the island.’

   ‘It’s beautiful,’ Taeyong breathed. ‘I never knew there were places like this on Jeju.’

   ‘It’s all about knowing where to look,’ said Jaehyun. ‘There’s a huge National Park in the middle of the island, but all of the best spots there are horrible tourist traps. But there are a few gems like this dotted around that the locals keep a little quieter.’

   ‘How do you know about them?’

   ‘I’ll tell you when we get down there.’

   Taeyong twisted. ‘We’re going down?’

   ‘There’s a dip in the ridge, don’t worry,’ Jaehyun laughed, ‘no extreme sports involved.’

   By the time that they had found their way down into the valley, Jaehyun had started talking anyway. They walked along the pebbly banks lining the small stream, fingers intertwined as their hands swung back and forth between them.

   It was nice, to walk hand in hand with someone.

   ‘My grandparents come from this island,’ Jaehyun explained. ‘They live on the mainland now, on the coast, but when I was younger they used to bring me here a lot for holidays. They showed me all of these special, secret places. In fact, the place I’m taking you to, a little way up from here, was where they had their first date.’

   ‘No _way_?’ Taeyong turned, beaming. He did like a good love story.

   ‘Yep. And pretty much right here is where I got so wasted with Johnny during our first season that we couldn’t find our way back so we slept here in the valley.’

   Taeyong laughed, wondering whether Jaehyun had stories for every spot on the island.

   ‘Ah, _here_ we are,’ Jaehyun grinned, nodding up ahead.

   Taeyong’s jaw dropped. They had turned the bend and come face to face with the most beautiful scenes he’d ever seen. There were three separate waterfalls, all small, most unlike the crashing cycles of water that he’d seen before on the TV - dropping down into a turquoise pool with a mound of stones at its head that let through only the smallest trail of water. It was the source of the little rivulet that they’d followed upstream.

   ‘Oh my God, Jaehyun,’ Taeyong exhaled, looking around. ‘This place is - ’

   ‘I know, right?’

   Taeyong fumbled around with his bag, pulling it around to his front. ‘I have to – can I… can I paint here?’

   Jaehyun raised his eyebrows. ‘Oh, sure. You don’t wanna swim? The pool is really nice.’

   Taeyong’s face flushed red. ‘I… I don’t have clothes for swimming.’

   ‘Well, you know, there’s no one around,’ Jaehyun winked. ‘We could just…’

   ‘ _Hey_ , stop it,’ he rolled his eyes, then said reproachfully, ‘did you only bring me out here to try to get me out of my clothes?’

   ‘Painting it is,’ Jaehyun smiled quickly.

   ‘That wasn’t a _no_ ,’ Taeyong said, as he walked around the pool, looking for an angle.

   ‘Well, it would be a lie if I said it wouldn’t be a nice view,’ said Jaehyun, watching him. ‘But that wasn’t my intention, I promise.’

   ‘Good,’ said Taeyong, flopping down onto the ground in his chosen spot and pulling a small, rectangular canvas from his messenger bag. ‘Because you’d have to work a _lot_ harder than that.’

   Jaehyun sat behind him on an upturned boulder, wanting to be able to see over his shoulder. After a moment, Taeyong shuffled a little back until he was settled cross-legged between his knees. Jaehyun smiled, resting his arms down on his shoulders so that his hands could toy around his chest, his neck, even the harsh-cut line of his jaw that he’d so wanted to trace from the moment he’d seen it.

   ‘I’m sorry, I know it’s asocial,’ Taeyong mumbled as he pulled out a tin palette.

   ‘Not at all,’ said Jaehyun, ‘I want to watch you work. It’s like sorcery to me. I can’t even draw a stick-man to save my life.’

   ‘Everyone can draw,’ Taeyong said, voice soft, ‘you just have to learn. I bet you couldn’t ride the biggest wave the first time that you ever stood on a surfboard, right?’

   Jaehyun looked down at him. ‘No, I wiped out and almost broke my nose on my own board.’

   ‘People always give up on art too early,’ Taeyong said quietly.      

   ‘You can teach me,’ said Jaehyun. He wandered his hands up to work his fingers into the hair at the nape of his neck, stroking a gentle massage over the back of his head. ‘And I’ll teach you how to surf.’

   Taeyong laughed, angling his head cutely at his touch. ‘We’ll see.’

*

   The sun was far over in the sky when Jaehyun finally drove Johnny’s truck back into the beach lot.

   ‘Here,’ said Taeyong, holding out the painting he’d done at the waterfall.

   ‘What?’ Jaehyun looked from him to the canvas.

   ‘Take it. It’s yours.’

   His eyes widened in surprise. ‘What? Seriously?’ he said blankly. ‘Taeyong, it’s… it’s amazing. You could sell it or - ’

   He shrugged shyly. ‘Give it to your grandparents.’

   Jaehyun stared at him. ‘Taeyong, I… thank you.’

   ‘Thanks for taking me there,’ he smiled. 

 _Fuck_ he was so pretty when he smiled – even prettier than usual. ‘Can I kiss you again?’ he asked, unable to think of anything else.

   ‘I thought you’d never ask.’

   Jaehyun stroked a thumb along his jaw, fingers working into his hair, and brought their lips together in a slow, gentle kiss. After a moment, Jaehyun let his other hand move to cup the back of his neck, pulling him closer. Suddenly there was a lot of breath, a lot of sound, a lot of _need_. Taeyong shifted a little, angling further over the gearshift, and Jaehyun finally let out a soft laugh and pulled back. ‘Johnny will kill me if he catches us making out in his truck.’

   ‘You call that making out?’ Taeyong pouted.

   _Fuck again_ , those lips were kissable.

   ‘You’re not as innocent as you look,’ Jaehyun remarked.

   ‘You don’t know anything about me yet, Jae,’ Taeyong shrugged, opening his door and stepping out into the lot. ‘I wouldn’t go making assumptions.’

   Jaehyun followed him, wanting to take his hand and walk with him like they had in the valley, but Taeyong had already set off at a brisk pace. _Hot and cold_. It was _very_ appealing. He jogged to catch up with him, and much to his pleasure, Taeyong let him slot his arm over his shoulders.

   ‘I don’t see Mark and Donghyuck,’ Taeyong said, looking around when they reached the beach. ‘I told them to stay on this part of the stretch.’

   ‘They probably just wandered off, we were gone for hours,’ said Jaehyun, but Taeyong shrugged his way out of the arm around his shoulders.

   ‘I have to find them,’ he said, sounding anxious. ‘Jae, I need to find them _now_.’

   ‘Hey, hey don’t panic,’ Jaehyun said, knowing already how protective Taeyong was of his cousin. ‘I’ll go find Johnny. I told him to keep an eye on them. It’s safe on this beach, trust me.’

   ‘Oh _God_ ,’ Taeyong started, but Jaehyun caught his forearm, squeezing gently.

   ‘They’re there,’ he said, pointing way up the beach. ‘They’re right there, babe.’

   Taeyong slumped with relief.

   ‘C’mon,’ Jaehyun slid his fingers down to take his hand, walking over to the next zone with him.

   Mark and Donghyuck were both laying down on surfboards, set flat on the sand, and they didn’t even look up as Taeyong and Jaehyun approached them.

   ‘Three – two – one – _go_!’ Johnny announced, and the two of them leapt up on the boards, dropping into a low stance with their knees bent. ‘Shocking,’ remarked Johnny, ‘nowhere _near_ quick enough.’

   ‘When will you let us out on the water?’ Donghyuck complained.

   ‘When you can do it half quick enough on the _sand_ ,’ Johnny said with a roll of his eyes.

   ‘I told you to stay in the Green Zone,’ said Taeyong, in a strained voice.

   All of them turned to look at him in surprise.

   ‘Hyung, you’re back,’ Mark shifted awkwardly. ‘Sorry we - ’

   Donghyuck was louder. ‘You’ve been gone for like six hours, hyung, give us a break!’

   ‘They wanted to learn how to surf,’ said Johnny.

   ‘Couldn’t you have taught them back there?’ Taeyong swallowed. ‘I was… I was worried.’

   ‘Sorry,’ Johnny shrugged. ‘I didn’t realise we’d moved that far.’

   ‘Is it cool, for Johnny to teach them?’ Jaehyun asked quietly, not wanting his friend to go stepping on Taeyong’s toes.

   Taeyong glanced at Mark and Donghyuck, who both looked horrified at the prospect that he might say no. He took a breath, and then said shakily, ‘yeah, yeah of course. Just… just be careful, okay, out on the water?’

   ‘Of course, hyung,’ Mark nodded. ‘I promise.’

   ‘Okay. Let’s go get some dinner,’ Taeyong said, letting go of Jaehyun’s hand and walking over to them. He turned back, then said with a small smile, ‘I’ll… I’ll see you tomorrow, right?’

   Jaehyun grinned. ‘Bright and early. You know where to find me.’

   He watched Taeyong walk away with the two of them. He had to admit that he _did_ like watching Taeyong walk. He liked his small, slender silhouette. He liked the cute way he balanced on the shifting sand. He liked the prospect that tomorrow, he’d see him again.

   ‘You ought to get him on a board,’ Johnny remarked, ‘it might help him to loosen up a bit.’

   ‘Huh?’ he raised his eyebrows, not looking away from Taeyong’s gradually shrinking figure in the distance.

   ‘Well he’s a bit… uptight, isn’t he?’

   Jaehyun rounded on him. ‘What’s that supposed to mean?’

   Johnny put his hands up defensively. ‘Sorry, sorry, I’m not trying to bad-mouth your new boyfriend. He’s just so… _tightly_ _wound_. Proper city boy, isn’t he? Doesn’t know how to relax.’

   ‘He’s just a bit anxious, Johnny,’ Jaehyun said, not missing the fact that a little anger rose inside him. He already felt protective of Taeyong. ‘It’s his first time somewhere like this. And he’s playing the responsible adult, while his parents aren’t around – he’s got to look after his cousin.’

   ‘Exactly my point, Jae. Get him out on a board with the others, and he’ll chill out,’ said Johnny, cracking open a can of beer as they walked across the beach towards the station. ‘It’ll be good for him.’

   ‘I’m not sure he likes the water,’ Jaehyun said casually.

   Johnny nearly choked on his drink. ‘Don’t be stupid,’ he laughed, ‘everybody likes the water.’

   Jaehyun shrugged. ‘He always wants to paint or hang out on the sand or do something else.’

   ‘Look, I know what’s up,’ said Johnny, rolling his eyes. ‘He’s just like Ten - it took me ages to drag him to the sea, and now he _surfs_. He just doesn’t wanna get his hair wet… doesn’t want to mess up his make-up… doesn’t want to risk getting all hot and sweaty doing something active in front of you.’

   ‘I don’t think Taeyong wears make-up,’ he mused.

   ‘Trust me, he’s scared you won’t fancy him if you see him after he’s been in the water. You’ve just gotta show him that’s how you _want_ to see him. The boy wants to be chased, it’s obvious.’

   ‘Really?’ Jaehyun looked up sceptically.

   ‘Have I ever been wrong?’

   ‘ _Yes_ ,’ he said darkly. He’d established a policy in his mind a while back never to take Johnny’s advice on anything, least of all dating. His way of doing things might work with Ten, but that was _Ten_. Taeyong was so different – so much quieter, introverted…

   Of course Jaehyun wanted to see him get more _comfortable_ – but he was certain that pushing him wasn’t the way to do it. No, he was going to have to come up with a gentler way to help him relax.

   Perhaps…

   The ocean had an answer for everything. Maybe if Johnny was right and Taeyong just didn’t want to get _in_ the water, Jaehyun could just show him something _on_ the water. ‘Maybe I could take him out on Dongyoung’s boat to see the dolphins. I bet he’d like that,’ he thought aloud.

   ‘Wow,’ Johnny said breezily, ‘you’re bringing out the _dolphins_ already? You must really like him.’

   ‘I do,’ Jaehyun said, more to himself than to his friend. ‘I think I really do.’

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [Twitter](https://twitter.com/taemayy)   
>  [Curiouscat](https://curiouscat.me/mayviolet)


	4. Chapter 4

   ‘Can I tell you a story about Jeju?’ asked Jaehyun. He really hoped that the answer was yes, because he knew that Taeyong would like this one.

   ‘Of course,’ Taeyong said, but he was a little absentminded, concentrating on his feet.

   They were walking along the narrow sea path to the hiking trail that Jaehyun wanted to take him to – from the top of the cliff they’d navigate, he’d be able to see whales out on the ocean. This section of land, a shortcut that would save them an hour of travel inland (essential, given they’d started in the late afternoon because of his shift), was haphazardly constructed, an archaic mixture of half-rotted wood and eroded stones, smooth and wet where the waves splashed upon them.

   ‘Have you heard of the haenyeo?’

   Taeyong shook his head, holding onto Jaehyun’s arm in a vice-like grip, even though he’d taken the inside lane against the foot of the cliff.

   ‘The haenyeo are like… the _mermaids_ of Jeju.’

   ‘Mermaids aren’t real, Jae,’ Taeyong said sternly. ‘I’m a romantic, but not _that_ romantic.’

   Jaehyun laughed. ‘No, no, but these ladies are _close_. Ever since the dawn of time, this island has thrived off the diving industry, way before tourism came along. The haenyeo are all women, the main breadwinners for their families, usually, and they dive to the sea-floor for everything from abalone to sea urchins. They can hold their breath for minutes on end, and they go down crazy deep. I’m talking up to thirty metres.’

   ‘Seriously?’ Taeyong turned, his mouth falling open.

   ‘Oh yeah, trust me, I’ve watched them do it. It’s really dangerous. They train from when they’re young girls – some of them have been diving for over half a century. The tradition is passed down from grandmother to mother to daughter. Most of them are old, now, even in their eighties. Not so many young people do it anymore. My grandmother was never a diver, but she’s friends with so many families who are, and you should hear the stories they tell. It’s like fiction.’

   ‘This _island_ is like fiction, Jae,’ Taeyong whispered, glancing out across the sea. ‘Sometimes I think you’re just a storyteller, crafting all these worlds with words just for me.’

   ‘No stories, just the truth,’ he said, ‘like your paintings. I’d look at your art and think that nothing that beautiful could exist anywhere. But it all comes from what you see before you. Your… vision.’

   Jaehyun saw Taeyong turn red before he looked forwards again.

   ‘Look there!’ Jaehyun swung him around quickly. He put a hand on his waist to keep him steady as he nudged him towards the edge of the path.

   ‘Oh my God,’ Taeyong breathed excitedly, as he leant forwards and stared at the point Jaehyun had gestured to.

   Where the pebbles of the path faded into large stones under the surface of the water, a small collection of tiny, tropical fish were flitting around. Blue, yellow, the brightest red.

   ‘What are they doing here? It’s so shallow,’ Taeyong breathed, angling further over the water for a better look.

   ‘Looks can be deceiving,’ said Jaehyun, ‘it looks shallow because the water’s so clear, but there’s a very quick drop.’

   ‘Look at those ones,’ Taeyong beamed, taking a step closer. His foot found purchase for the first second on the smooth stone. He was smiling, and Jaehyun was smiling, and then he wasn’t.

   ‘Ah!’ he gasped, as his foot slipped, and the weight of his angle pulled him forwards.

   Forwards towards the water.

   ‘Shit, _shit_!’ Jaehyun grabbed him, the hand on his waist wrapping all the way around the front of his stomach. The fingers on his other hand caught a hold of his arm, just as the water splashed with a crash of surprise as Taeyong fell, almost to the knee. Jaehyun hauled him back, all of Taeyong’s body weight over his one forearm, and stumbled back to the cliff wall, holding him tight. A moment of stunned silence, and then – ‘got you,’ he said, with a shaky laugh.

   Taeyong was frozen, completely rigid in his arms. One of his hands was gripping Jaehyun’s wrist against his own navel, nails digging in so hard that it hurt, but Jaehyun wasn’t going to say so.

   ‘They’re like sirens, those fishes – they tempt you in and then they try to - ’ he stopped the joke halfway through, because Taeyong wasn’t going to laugh. ‘Taeyong, _Yongie_ ,’ he said, tone suddenly serious, ‘can I call you that?’

   Taeyong nodded blankly.

   ‘Yongie, look at me babe, you’re alright.’

   After a moment more, staring out at the water, he finally seemed to wake up, turning in his grasp and looking at him. Jaehyun’s heart gave a spasm of pain – Taeyong’s beautiful eyes were filled with tears.

   ‘Hey, hey, it’s alright, you’re okay,’ Jaehyun murmured, pulling him close to his chest. ‘I’m sorry. Fuck, I’m sorry. I should have held you better.’

   Taeyong settled into him, breathing shallow and laboured, head nudging into the crook of his neck. ‘Can we go back?’ Taeyong mumbled, sounding most unlike himself.

   ‘Of course. Of _course_.’ He went to disentangle himself so that they could move, but Taeyong wasn’t letting go. ‘Babe, TY, we gotta walk,’ he said softly.

   ‘Oh yeah,’ Taeyong said hollowly.

   Getting back to the beach might have been the longest twenty minutes of Jaehyun’s life. Taeyong didn’t quite cry, he didn’t quite hyperventilate, he didn’t quite even panic, not visibly, but Jaehyun had felt it in his body when he’d caught him. He saw it in his eyes now, as he got him back to the beach as quickly as he could.

   Taeyong didn’t… _not like_ , the water. He was fucking _terrified_ of the water.

   ‘Do you… do you want to go and find your cousin?’ Jaehyun asked, voice a little shaky. He didn’t know what to say to Taeyong. How to make it better.

   ‘No,’ Taeyong answered quickly. ‘I don’t want him to see me like this. He… he was worried enough about choosing Jeju for our holiday in the first place, I’m _not_ making him feel guilty.’

   So Mark knew.

   ‘Can we just go… somewhere else?’

   ‘Yeah, yeah sure,’ Jaehyun forced a smile. ‘How about lunch? _Or_ something sweeter?’

   Taeyong nodded slowly.

   Jaehyun walked him to one of his favourite little kiosks around, a tiny, picturesque little store run by another friend, Taeil. It was set way back from the beach, with just a _view_ of the water, far enough that he hoped Taeyong would be able to settle. He bought him a giant milkshake, and an even bigger ice-cream sundae.

   It took a while, so long that Jaehyun was starting to panic that he’d ruined everything, before -

   ‘I’m sorry,’ Taeyong said softly, playing with the end of his straw. ‘I ruined everything.’

   _Wait, what?_

‘Wait, what?’ recited Jaehyun, the filter between his brain and his mouth failing. ‘Sorry for what? You didn’t do anything. It was my fault, I should have kept a better hold on you.’

   ‘Freaking out back there…’ Taeyong looked down, face flushed. It wasn’t the cute kind of blush this time, though. It was almost… _shame._ ‘I’m so embarrassed,’ he whispered, swallowing visibly.

   ‘Hey, it’s okay,’ Jaehyun said, taking his hand on the table and squeezing it. ‘It’s not a big deal, babe. So you’re scared of the water, so what? We just won’t go climbing any slippery rocks next time.’

   ‘You don’t… you don’t think I’m a baby?’ Taeyong looked up, his eyes wide.

   Jaehyun shook his head in astonishment. ‘No, _no_ , of course I don’t.’

   ‘We didn’t get to see the whales,’ he said sadly, lip trembling.

   ‘We’ll just go the long way round tomorrow,’ Jaehyun smiled, lifting his hand to his lips and pressing a kiss to his knuckles. After a pause, when Taeyong nodded with a half-smile, he dared to venture – ‘Yong, babe, can you… can you swim?’

   ‘Huh?’

   ‘Is that why you’re scared? Because you know if you can’t, I can teach you.’

   Taeyong gave his pretty, soft little laugh. It was fast becoming one of Jaehyun’s favourite sounds in the world. ‘I can swim,’ he said, ‘it’s not that.’

   ‘Okay… is it… is it because you think it’s dangerous? Sharks or currents or something? I’m a lifeguard, I’d take care of you. I’d keep you safe.’

   ‘It’s not that either,’ Taeyong said quietly. ‘I don’t even… I can’t even get in a pool.’

   Jaehyun wasn’t trying to push him, he didn’t even care about the answer, he just wanted to be able to _help_ him. The water was the most beautiful thing in the world, it hurt his heart that Taeyong didn’t get to enjoy it. ‘Then what is it?’

   ‘I don’t _know_ , Jae,’ said Taeyong, ‘I just don’t like it. Like other people don’t like _spiders_ or _airplanes_ or _snakes_.’

   ‘How about… how about doing something _on_ the water? My friend has a boat and – ’

   ‘ _No_ ,’ Taeyong said, and all of a sudden it was the hardest that Jaehyun had ever heard his voice. ‘No boats.’

   ‘Okay sure,’ Jaehyun nodded quickly.

   ‘I’m _sorry_ ,’ he said again, voice so low that Jaehyun could barely hear it. ‘I know it’s stupid and boring and it makes me the biggest killjoy in the world but I just… I just can’t.’

   ‘You’re not a killjoy, babe,’ Jaehyun leant forwards and stroked gently down his cheek. ‘It’s cool. There’s loads to do on the island _way_ away from the water. I’ll take you to the Stone Park; the Botanical Gardens – you can paint there; or the conservation centre for the island deer. And the Haenyeo Museum – all about the women I told you about earlier. Fuck, there’s even a contemporary art museum.’

   Taeyong smiled shyly.

   ‘TY, I promise you that we aren’t gonna run out of date ideas.’

   ‘But you love the water,’ Taeyong whispered.

   ‘Yeah, and I spend enough time in it already,’ Jaehyun shrugged, giving him what he hoped was a reassuring smile. ‘I like _you_ , babe, I want to do whatever you want to do.’

   ‘Okay.’

   ‘So what do you want to do right now?’ Jaehyun coaxed.

   Taeyong met his eyes. _God_ , his eyes were too much. The irises were so big and dark; they gave him this look like a beautiful, vulnerable doe. Or even something softer – something that Jaehyun just wanted to take into his arms and protect from the world. And from the fucking water. He was a lifeguard, after all.

   ‘Walk,’ Taeyong said softly.

   A smile. ‘I can do that.’

*

   Taeyong could hardly believe that Jaehyun was still walking with him – that his arm was wrapped around his shoulders and his lips touching his ear as he talked about the island, leant in so close to him. He’d thought that Jaehyun, Jaehyun who lived for the water, would run a mile when he found out the truth.

   Or half of the truth.

   He hadn’t told Jaehyun about his parents.

   He wasn’t ready for that conversation.

   Jaehyun was still practically a _stranger_ , after all. Or so he kept telling himself.

   He didn’t _feel_ like a stranger though. His arms felt as though Taeyong had belonged there all his life; his eyes had this air that he’d looked in them a thousand times already; even his voice was as familiar as anyone’s – quiet and gentle and carefully architected, so at odds with his carefree appearance.

   When they sat down, in a secluded part of the cove, hidden from the main beach by the cliffs, Taeyong threw his legs across Jaehyun’s easily, like he’d known him forever.

   ‘I wonder what Mark and Hyuck are up to?’ he mused, wedging his second milkshake down into the sand.

   On Jaehyun’s instruction, he’d decided to let them spend the evening in town by themselves. Taeyong hadn’t really been sure himself – when he’d been sixteen, he’d spent all his time locked away in his room painting. He’d never been the sociable type. But Jaehyun had assured him that apparently this was normal for sixteen year olds.

   ‘Oh I don’t know, babe. Getting wasted? Trashing the town?’

   ‘ _Don’t_ ,’ Taeyong swatted at his chest playfully, but Jaehyun didn’t even budge. He liked that. He was so… solid. Not like Taeyong. He’d always thought of himself as soft. ‘It’s not funny.’

   ‘But you’re laughing?’

   ‘Am not,’ Taeyong bit his own lips to stop his smile.

   ‘You’re so fucking pretty when you laugh, TY,’ said Jaehyun, slowing the pace of the conversation to a standstill as he looked at him. ‘Beautiful.’

   Taeyong darted forwards quickly to peck his lips.

   ‘And cute,’ Jaehyun laughed, but then he slotted a hand to cup around the back of his neck, pulling him down for a better kiss. A proper kiss. Taeyong pressed against him, as if drawn by magnets, climbing automatically into his lap and running both hands into his hair.

   He gasped as Jaehyun took his hip, pulling him closer into his body, tongue working into his mouth with little hesitancy now. Taeyong let him, letting out another little gasp as Jaehyun lowered his hands to take a more provocative grip, holding him with all the passion of a lover.

   ‘Mmm,’ Taeyong actually moaned at himself as he pulled away. ‘I’m not going to have sex with you on a beach.’

   ‘Does that mean you’ll have sex with me somewhere else?’ Jaehyun teased, leaning in for another chaste kiss.

   ‘Nope,’ Taeyong swung his leg off him – a veritable _unstraddling_ – and flumped back onto his back, gazing up at the darkening sky. ‘I barely know you.’

   Jaehyun flopped back as well. ‘Jung Jaehyun. Aquarius.’

   ‘Oh _wow_ , the boy who lives in the sea is an _Aquarius_ ,’ Taeyong rolled his eyes.

   ‘I’m an only child, but it’s cool – it means my parents fucking _dote_ on me. I’m 181cm. I like sports the best, but I play piano too.’

   ‘Really?’ Taeyong rolled onto his side, settling an arm across Jaehyun’s stomach.

   ‘Like Chopin,’ he said, kissing his nose and grinning as Taeyong scrunched it up. ‘My favourite ice cream flavour is matcha. Or salted caramel.’

   ‘ _Really_?’ Taeyong pulled a face. ‘That shit ruined real caramel.’

   ‘Should have known you’d prefer it sweeter. So tell me about you,’ said Jaehyun, turning his head to look at him. One hand wandered up to brush through his bangs, thumb stroking gently across his forehead. Taeyong closed his eyes at the touch, smile playing around his lips.

   ‘Lee Taeyong. 174cm. Favourite ice cream: cookies and cream.’

   Jaehyun laughed, ‘were you wearing your platforms when they measured you or - ’

   Taeyong pouted. ‘Don’t be mean to me! People always think I’m little because I’m narrow, but I’m not short!’

   ‘Narrow,’ Jaehyun laughed again at the choice of word. ‘You’re built like a fairy, babe.’

   ‘Fairies are cute though, right?’

   ‘The cutest.’ A kiss, soft and quick to his lips.

   ‘You make me feel so great, Jae,’ he whispered after a pause. ‘I wasn’t going to have a summer fling. I told _everyone_ I didn’t want to. And then you come along and I just can’t resist you… it’s that _smile_ , you give me butterflies.’

   ‘Is that what we are?’ Jaehyun asked, ‘a fling?’

   Taeyong nestled into him, quiet for a moment. The evening that had tinted their walk had well and truly settled into early-night over their quiet corner of the cove, the sky a deep, midnight blue. White stars clustered above them, so bright that it didn’t seem too dark. ‘What else can it be? When summer’s over…’

   ‘You know Busan isn’t so far from Seoul?' 

   ‘It’s the opposite side of Korea.’

   ‘And it’s a small country. Three hour train.’

   The thought of Jaehyun being his boyfriend, of them being a couple, of… of introducing him to his friends… It was tempting. ‘I thought you’d only want me for the summer,’ he murmured, ‘I figured that’s what you guys do. Jet around the seasons, a boyfriend in every city… Just playing around.’

   ‘No,’ Jaehyun said, voice calm but firm. ‘No, Yong, I don’t do that. I like you. I want to _be_ with you. You’re like no one I’ve ever met. You’re special. I already can’t bear the thought of letting you go.’

   ‘Okay, then don’t,’ Taeyong smiled. ‘I’ll… _be_ with you. But _no_ salted caramel in my dorm when you’re visiting, and you have to play me something on the piano.’

   ‘Mm like a love song?’ Jaehyun enticed him.

   Taeyong shrugged nonchalantly. ‘I was thinking Chopin, since you bigged yourself up so much.’

   ‘ _Damn_ , should’ve picked something easier,’ he groaned.

   ‘It’s never easy with me, Jae,’ Taeyong giggled, ‘I’m very difficult to please.’

   ‘Good,’ said Jaehyun, looking back up to the sky, ‘because you deserve the best.’

He deserved the best, and he wanted _him_.

   Taeyong hoped that they were one and the same thing.    

   In fact, he _knew_ they were.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [Twitter](https://twitter.com/taemayy)   
>  [Curiouscat](https://curiouscat.me/mayviolet)


	5. Chapter 5

   There was very little around Jaehyun’s condo to suggest that it was really owned by two elderly former Jeju residents. In fact, everything about the small apartment screamed _“surf”_. Jaehyun’s stamps were on every detail, from the furniture to the walls.

   Along the wall in the hallway, there were surfboards, a couple in disrepair, and lined in decreasing size. There were trophies, medals, a few of prize boards, even. There were framed photos, almost all of Jaehyun on the water, and a few with his friends from the beach.

   ‘Is this your grandparents’ place or _yours_?’ Taeyong asked shyly as he picked his way down the corridor to the living space.

   They’d decided to make their way across town to Jaehyun’s condo after the rain had started while they were playing kickball on the beach – not unusual for the season, apparently – and Taeyong was treating it as a definite learning experience. Where better to find out about someone than their home, after all? Even if it was only for a few weeks of the year.

   ‘They’ve kind of… _bequeathed_ it, to me, let’s say,’ Jaehyun laughed. ‘They spend the winters here, sometimes, but the summers are all mine now. Johnny’s staying here this time around to save money, too. Here, let me get you a towel.’

   Taeyong wandered into the living room, eyes flitting around for details. Empty beer cans littered the coffee table, but there was also a guitar propped against the wall, and a very beautiful piece of art hung over the mantelpiece.

   He jumped as Jaehyun walked up behind him.

   ‘Thanks,’ he murmured. He hadn’t been prepared for the rain.

   Tingles ran down his temples as Jaehyun worked the towel into his hair, long fingers pressing into a firm massage, stroking round to his forehead and kneading back to the nape of his neck. Taeyong let out an involuntary sigh, resting back against his chest, and Jaehyun laughed softly in his ear. He put down the towel, but went back to his massage, thumbing soothingly over his temples.

   ‘If sports science doesn’t work out, you could have a future in this,’ Taeyong mumbled shakily. The shivers from his touch quivered all the way down his spine.

   ‘In making you feel good? Yeah, I reckon I could pursue that,’ Jaehyun smiled, kissing his cheek before letting go. ‘You want me to get you a drink?’

   ‘Sure,’ he nodded. Curious, and nosy to a fault, Taeyong continued his perusal of the apartment. He nudged open a door that was slightly ajar, peering inside. ‘Is this your room?’ he asked, when Jaehyun returned.

   ‘How very provocative,’ he tutted, ‘trying to get into my bedroom already.’

   ‘Can I?’ Taeyong teased.

   Jaehyun pushed the door all the way open, closing his arms around his waist and walking him inside. Taeyong squirmed away from him as the ice-cold can pressed against his skin, letting out a whine.

   ‘ _Hey_!’

   ‘Sorry, I couldn’t resist,’ Jaehyun chuckled.

   That _smile_ was still the one thing Taeyong couldn’t resist.

   This space was a little more… personal. There was less _surf_ and more Jaehyun. The photos were older, and there were little souvenirs on the window-ledge that could only be from his childhood. ‘Are they your parents?’ he asked, picking up a framed photograph from the nightstand.

   ‘Oh yeah, that’s mom and dad,’ Jaehyun smiled as he looked over his shoulder.

   ‘You look like them,’ Taeyong mused. He peered close to the photo. Jaehyun looked younger, but much the same – the smile, after all, could never change. He was between his parents, beaming as he held what was probably his high school diploma. ‘Especially your dad. What do they do?’

   ‘Mom is a marine biologist. Dad is a pilot.’

   ‘No way?’ Taeyong turned in interest. ‘I bet you travelled a lot when you were a kid.’

   ‘A fair amount,’ he nodded. ‘Not like you. I bet you grew up _right_ in the middle of Seoul.’

   ‘Actually, I moved around a lot when I was younger. I was born in Seoul, but we went everywhere. I even lived in Busan for a while.’

   ‘Seriously? We’ve probably been to all the same places,’ Jaehyun said happily.

   ‘Yeah, probably,’ he smiled. ‘My parents were very spontaneous, though – we were always on the move. We spent some time overseas – and some time _on_ seas. They lived on their boat a lot of the time.’

   ‘Really?’ Jaehyun looked at him in surprise. ‘You… you used to go out on the water?’

   He nodded. ‘Sometimes I went with them, sometimes they left me with friends or family. They were… maybe a little eccentric, to say the least.’

   ‘Amazing,’ Jaehyun exhaled. ‘I bet they’ve settled down now, huh?’

   Taeyong looked down, swallowing hard. ‘No,’ he said quietly, ‘they’re… they’re gone.’ He took a deep breath. He didn’t usually have this conversation. He didn’t _like_ having this conversation. It wasn’t that he _couldn’t_ talk about it – he’d stopped crying whenever he mentioned them years ago – but it wasn’t exactly his favourite subject in the world. He didn’t like the way that people looked at him differently afterwards. ‘They died when I was eight.’

   Jaehyun stared at him. ‘Oh… oh Yong I’m sorry,’ he said after a pause. His jaw had slackened, eyes turned sad. ‘I’m so sorry.’

   ‘What for?’ Taeyong shrugged, putting down the frame. ‘Wasn’t your fault.’ He gave a small laugh, a defence mechanism he’d picked up years back.

   ‘I’m sorry that you had to go through that,’ Jaehyun said softly.

   Taeyong swallowed. ‘It was a long time ago. I’m… I’m okay.’

   ‘Was it - ’ Jaehyun started, realisation painted all across his face, but he seemed to decide that it was a completely insensitive question.

   Taeyong, though, just met his eyes. ‘It’s alright, you can ask.’

   ‘Was it… the boat?’

   ‘Yes, yes it was,’ he turned slightly to hide the struggle on his face, but Jaehyun caught his arm, pulling him into a close hug.

   ‘Oh Tae, Tyongie, come here,’ he murmured.

   Taeyong nestled his face against his chest, arms wrapping around his waist, eyes falling closed with the weight of memories. ‘They were just like you, Jae,’ he mumbled. ‘They lived on the water. They surfed and they kayaked and they swam and… and they sailed. And one day it went bad and – and they were gone. And I - ’

   ‘And no more water,’ Jaehyun finished for him. ‘Babe I’m so sorry, I was going on about getting you out on a stupid boat and thinking you could try the sea and - ’

   ‘It’s fine. You didn’t know.’

   ‘ _Fuck_ ,’ Jaehyun whispered, gripping him so tight that Taeyong felt he might just be holding him together. ‘Were you… you weren’t… you weren’t _with_ them, were you?’

   ‘No, no, I was in Canada,’ he said, ‘with my aunt and uncle. We didn’t even – even _know_ for a while. Not until the Coast Guard confirmed everything. And after that, my aunt and uncle never left my side again,’ he drew back, ‘not until I was nineteen, that is.’

   ‘Mark’s parents?’

   ‘Yes. They… took me in without a second thought. They even moved back to Seoul. They wanted me to be… to be somewhere I felt safe. I didn’t even speak English, they didn’t want me to have to stay in Canada, and Mark was still a toddler – he hadn’t even started school yet. So they – they gave up everything for me. To raise me.’

   ‘They sound like amazing people.’

   ‘They are,’ he smiled, occupying himself by opening the can of soda that Jaehyun had brought him. ‘I owe them everything. But… but my parents were great people too.’

   Jaehyun leant in, kissing his forehead gently. ‘I’m sure they were, Yong. In fact I _know_ they were, because I know _you_. I bet they’d be so proud of who you are now.’

   ‘They’d think I was silly,’ Taeyong shook his head, ‘not even getting in the water. That would have been the last thing they’d have wanted. But I just _can’t_ … it’s like… it’s like the second it touches me I just feel what… I feel what they must have felt. The first time I tried to swim after… it was like it was suffocating me. It’s been over a decade, and I still _can’t_ …’

   ‘Oh Tae,’ Jaehyun stroked his fingers through the hair over his ears. ‘It’s the most understandable thing in the _world_. If you never, ever, _ever_ want to touch the water, you don’t have to. If you ever want… if you ever want to try… I’ll sit with you. I’ll hold your hand if you want to dip your toes.’

   Taeyong laughed at that, and finally the tension was broken in the room. ‘I’d like to try again. One day. But not now.’

   ‘What do you want to do _today_?’ Jaehyun asked. ‘Since it’s raining.’

   ‘Hmm,’ Taeyong hummed. ‘What do you usually do on a rainy day in Jeju?’

   ‘How about… a movie?’ he suggested. ‘I’m not all sand, you know.’

   ‘Which movie?’

   ‘What’s your favourite?’

   ‘I’m not telling you,’ Taeyong said shyly, ‘it’s embarrassing.’

   Jaehyun pulled a face. ‘ _Embarrassing?_ What is it? You gotta tell me now.’

   ‘I like animated films,’ he said, avoiding the question slightly because he didn’t want to tell Jaehyun about his penchant for sappy love stories, ‘I like the art.’

   ‘Okay,’ Jaehyun nodded, ‘I can work with that. I bet you like Studio Ghibli, right?’

   ‘ _Yes_ ,’ Taeyong beamed.

   ‘Then we’ll start there.’

   He looped an arm over Taeyong’s shoulders, walking him back to the living room, away from the air that still tasted like the past.

*

   ‘How do you… how do you tell someone you like them, hyung?’

   Taeyong looked up from the stove in the small apartment they were renting in surprise. ‘Why? Do you like someone?’ he asked, though he didn’t really need to. The answer to that question had been obvious from the day that a thirteen-year-old Mark had sprinted home from school raving about the new kid in his class for two hours straight.

   ‘Shh!’ Mark hushed him with a look of horror, eyes flickering to the bathroom door. Donghyuck was in the shower. ‘I mean - I mean no, not really. I just - I was just wondering.’

   Taeyong concentrated back on the breakfast he was making so that Mark didn’t see his smile, shrugging slightly. ‘I don’t know, Mark. You… you just sort of have to do it. If they say they like you back, then you’ve got yourself a date. If they don’t, then at least you know. That’s the hardest part, after all – the not-knowing.’

   ‘What if they hate you after?’

   Taeyong turned, brow furrowing, and leant back on the counter. ‘Then they weren’t deserving of your attention in the first place. No real friend would hate you just for saying that.’

   ‘Who says they’re a friend?’ Mark said quickly.

   ‘I thought you were _just wondering_?’ Taeyong smiled.

   ‘Yeah, well yeah,’ Mark turned very red, then rapidly changed the subject. ‘How’s it going with you and the beach guy anyway?’

   ‘Oh fairly well, I’d say.’ He served up a plate, holding it out to him. ‘I… I told him about my mom and dad yesterday.’

   Mark’s eyebrow’s shot up in surprise. ‘Wow… you guys are really serious, then?’

   His cousin knew better than anyone else how rare it was for Taeyong to open up that side of himself. He knew how much Taeyong hated the silence such a conversation left in its wake – the sympathy, the pity, the hesitance over every harmless sentence that followed.

   ‘I think he’s… different,’ Taeyong murmured, ‘to other guys I’ve dated. He seems really special. We’re going to stay in contact once we’re back on the mainland.’

   ‘That’s so great, hyung,’ said Mark, with an honest smile.

   ‘One of his friends, Ten, from the beach bar, is having a party at his tonight.’

   ‘For real? Can we come?’

   Taeyong nodded, then held up his spoon very quickly with conditions. ‘ _But,_ no drinking, or I’ll put you on a plane home tomorrow. And you come back here before midnight.’

   ‘Of course, of course!’

   ‘Could be a good time to tell someone you like them,’ Taeyong threw out casually, if only to see the way Mark jumped a little and became very, _very_ interested in his plate.

*

   Jaehyun arrived at Ten’s house with two crates of beer, a friend who shoved past him the second they got through the door, and the prettiest boy in the room on his arm.

   The beer cans went on the floor. Johnny caught the host in a long, drawn out kiss that made Jaehyun turn away, rolling his eyes. Taeyong though, stayed latched onto his arm.

   He looked so lovely.

   There was this elegance to the way he dressed, always refined, but never like he was trying too hard. His small frame made clothes hang so beautifully from him, like a model, light fabrics pooling in the curves of his waist, even the dips of his collarbones. The sweet colour of his hair, somewhere between honey and caramel, made him stand out from the crowd. Other than Ten, very few people in this community had much interest in dyeing their hair.

   He fitted in well in Ten’s house, too.

   Unlike Jaehyun and Johnny, Ten spent the whole year here. His life was on Jeju. His home was covered in life – plants, from tropical plants to ferns, and three cats that Jaehyun _knew_ would excite Taeyong if they made an appearance.

   In fact –

   ‘ _Ten_ ,’ he said, grabbing him as soon as he detached himself from Johnny. ‘Where are your cats?’

   ‘Oh, around,’ he shrugged. ‘They were in the garden the last time I saw them.’

   Jaehyun took Taeyong’s hand. He’d noticed before that Taeyong wasn’t really the _party type_. They’d been to a couple of beach parties together, but Jaehyun could tell that Taeyong was only doing it for him – to spend time with him. He was shy, awkward around strangers, and skittish when things got too loud.

   Jaehyun picked up two cocktails from the bar table in Ten’s kitchen, and took Taeyong’s hand after he passed him one.

   ‘Here,’ he said, excited to show him the garden instead of dragging him into the crowd.

   When they slipped out of the sliding doors at the very back of Ten’s house, Taeyong’s eyes turned wide.

   ‘Oh it’s so _pretty_ ,’ he whispered.

   The garden was long, narrow, overgrown with wildflowers and dotted with the strange pieces of sculpture that Ten picked up from the local flea market. Strewn across the fences, the trees, any available surface, there were tiny string lights in vibrant colours.

   ‘Ten likes his things… over the top,’ Jaehyun smiled.

   Taeyong climbed over a stone sculpted head of Michelangelo’s _David_ that had fallen on its side. _Not_ to Jaehyun's surprise, his face lit up when he saw one of the kittens curled up in a bed of red flowers. ‘ _Jae_ , this is so great!’

   ‘Better than the party?’ he grinned.

   Taeyong glanced back at the house, where the bass from the music was making the earth vibrate, then nodded. ‘You know me so well already.’

   ‘I can read you like a book, babe,’ said Jaehyun, sitting down on another upturned statue and having a drink. ‘Your heart is attached to your sleeve.’

   ‘Most people can’t,’ Taeyong murmured, taking the cat into his lap as he sat cross-legged on the floor.

   Much to Jaehyun’s astonishment, he didn’t get scratched. Ten’s cats were usually as sharp as him. But this one just curled up on Taeyong, as though it knew that he was a good person. Jaehyun’s mom always said to him that cats were the best judges of character.

   ‘Most people say I’m closed off,’ Taeyong said quietly. ‘I think you’ve just… got a direct line.’

   ‘To where?’

   Taeyong blushed. ‘I don’t know… my heart?’

   ‘Lucky me,’ Jaehyun answered with a broad smile.

   ‘Thanks for making this the best summer ever, Jae,’ Taeyong looked down, ‘it’s like… the most fun I’ve ever had. I don’t want it to end.’

   ‘Well it won’t. Once we’re back on the mainland, it’s going to be just the same. I’ll be round every other week, trust me. It’ll be like summer never ends.’

   Taeyong laughed softly. ‘I like winter too, though. And it’ll be even better if you’re there.’

   Suddenly, Jaehyun was struck by the image in his mind of Taeyong in the winter, and his heart almost skipped a beat. Taeyong… wrapped up in a fluffy white sweater, the sleeves pulled over his hands in sweater paws as he held a hot mug… nose a little pink from the cold outside… snow in his hair. _Fuck_.

   Summer was Jaehyun’s favourite season. Every other month seemed like a boring precursor to the time he could spend on the beach.

   Now, though, he was swiftly getting very excited – excited about the prospect of every potential day with Taeyong.

   Endless possibilities.

   He couldn’t even imagine a scene in which Taeyong wouldn’t look beautiful.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [Twitter](https://twitter.com/taemayy)   
>  [Curiouscat](https://curiouscat.me/mayviolet)


	6. Chapter 6

   ‘ _Fucker_!’ Jaehyun shouted, back arching away from the entire bucket of ice water that had just been thrown down his back. He lunged for Johnny, slipping on the wet decking of the station, and pushed him straight over the veranda down onto the sand below.

   Taeyong watched as they grappled, eyes rolling on their way back to his drawing.

   ‘Have you thought about red?’ Ten pondered. He’d been absentmindedly playing with Taeyong’s hair for at least five minutes. He was, Taeyong had noticed, a very _touchy_ person.

   ‘I don’t think I have the confidence to pull off red,’ he murmured. 

   ‘Hey, you’ve gotta wear the hair – don’t let the hair wear you.’

   ‘That’s what I’m worried about.’

   Ten ran his fingers through it one more time and then let it fall back against his head, dropping his hand down to his side. ‘Not that it would matter either way – you could have a trash toupee and still look good. Pretty privilege.’

   Taeyong thought that this was rather rich coming from Ten. The more that he looked at him, the more interesting that he found the details of his face. His features were almost feline, so sharp that Taeyong was sure that he’d be able to pull off any style anyway.

   ‘Hey, Ten, stop flirting with my boyfriend!’

   Taeyong looked up, smiling happily as Jaehyun muscled his way in between the two of them, throwing an arm over his shoulders. The smile turned quickly to a gasp when he realised that Jaehyun was still soaking wet, and he wriggled away as fast as he could before water could find its way onto the pages of his sketchbook.

   ‘Oh _please_ , Jae, I’m taken, remember?’ Ten gave a theatrical sigh.

   ‘Really? I hadn’t noticed,’ said Jaehyun with a look of mock distaste as Johnny leant down, lifting Ten into a boisterous bear hug and a rough kiss. Everything was always so fervent with them, as though it was the last time they’d ever see each other.

   Taeyong liked the idea of that kind of romance, but he wasn’t sure he’d like the reality. He was, as Jaehyun had so eloquently put it, built like a _fairy_ , after all. He knew that Jaehyun thought he was fragile, and that was why he was so careful with him.

   He liked that kind of romance too. He liked the way that Jaehyun paused before kissing him each time, giving him the opportunity to turn away if he didn’t feel like it; the way he often asked first, when he wanted to kiss him properly. He liked the way that he held him tightly enough for him to feel secure, but never so tight that it felt possessive. He liked the way that he took the time to read his mood; had the initiative to push his comfort zones where there was breathing space and the sensitivity to hold back where necessary.

   He also liked the fact that Jaehyun had just breezily referred to him as his _boyfriend_.

   ‘What are you drawing?’ Jaehyun asked, peering over his shoulder.

   ‘Nothing,’ Taeyong pulled the page to his chest, blushing pink.

   ‘Is it me?’

   ‘ _No_.’ Yes.

   ‘Let’s see!’ Johnny, who had been kissing a line up Ten’s jaw, detached himself to look. Ten leant over his boyfriend’s back, and Taeyong almost fell sideways on the sand in his haste to get away from all of them.

   ‘Johnny-hyung? Can we go out now?’

   They all looked up in surprise at the interruption. Mark and Donghyuck were looking at Johnny with excited, almost _pleading,_ eyes.

   Taeyong felt his stomach flip over. He’d told Mark that it was okay for them to go out surfing today. Now, at the prospect that they’d actually be that far out in the water, he was already regretting it.

   ‘Sure, let me get some boards,’ Johnny shrugged, ruffling Ten’s hair as he stood up and making him grumble loudly in protest.

   ‘Is that… is it still okay?’ Mark asked, directly to Taeyong.

   He forced a smile, sure that it had too much teeth but unable to make it seem more natural. ‘Yes, yeah, of course. Have… have fun.’

   ‘Johnny,’ started Jaehyun, meanwhile, catching his arm, ‘don’t take your eyes off them, alright? I mean it.’

   ‘I’m a lifeguard, Jae, what do you think I’m gonna do? Let them drown?’

   Taeyong flinched.

   Jaehyun took his hand, squeezing it gently. ‘That’s not funny, Johnny.’

   For a moment, Johnny looked mildly confused, but then he gave them a genuine smile with a nod. Perhaps, Taeyong thought, Johnny knew his friend well enough to tell when he was being serious. ‘I won’t look away for a second. Promise.’

   His promise was pointless for the day, because Taeyong couldn’t look away for a second either. He might as well be doing his job for him. From the second that they paddled their way out off the shore, his eyes were fixated, flitting anxiously from one to the other whenever they made an effort to catch a wave. Jaehyun didn’t even attempt an effort to distract him, watching too.

   The whole thing was made worse by the fact that it was their first time, and neither of them could manage a single wave without wiping out. With every crash of foam, Taeyong winced, waiting the painful seconds before they re-emerged with his fingers clutching tightly to Jaehyun’s hand.

   It was not his favourite day of the summer.

*

An entire week passed before Taeyong was finally calm enough to half-enjoy watching the two of them. Mark, to his astonishment, had taken to surfing like the sport had been designed for him. Even Johnny was impressed. Donghyuck, ever a chaotic force, still seemed to enjoy crashing about as much as he enjoyed staying stable, but both of them emerged each day with equally broad smiles on their faces.

   ‘They’re just hanging out in the shallows,’ Johnny said cheerily as he returned to the beach one day, flopping down onto the sand. ‘Where’s Ten?’

   ‘Working. He still has a bar to run, remember? His life doesn’t revolve around you, Johnny, however much you might like it to,’ Jaehyun remarked.

   Taeyong was settled between his legs, enjoying their day off, head resting back against his chest, fully comfortable now that Mark and Donghyuck weren’t out near danger anymore. He flicked through his phone, glancing up with a light laugh as Ten appeared, balancing several cocktail glasses between his fingers.

   ‘You were saying?’ Johnny said slyly.

   ‘Here, my lovelies,’ Ten smiled, planting himself straight in Johnny’s lap as he handed out drinks.

   ‘Your cousin is really good, you know?’ said Johnny over his head, their height distance drastic enough that he could hold a conversation even with Ten tangled around him. ‘I probably don’t need to babysit them anymore.’

   ‘Y-you don’t think so?’ Taeyong stuttered anxiously.

   ‘Don’t worry,’ Jaehyun murmured into his ear, ‘I’ll go out with them if you want.’

   He relaxed a little, then more, when Jaehyun kissed the crown of his head.

   He sipped on his cocktail, face tensing a little as the burning hit the back of his throat. ‘What’s _in_ this?’ he coughed. It was stronger than anything Ten had made him before. ‘It tastes like tar.’

   ‘Oh, a bit of this, a bit of that,’ Ten smirked.

   Jaehyun sighed, taking the glass from Taeyong’s hand and swapping it with the taller, more colourful one from his own. ‘Keep it light, Ten,’ he said, ‘he’s only small.’

   ‘So? Ten’s smaller and he can drink like a sailor,’ Johnny interjected.

   ‘As if,’ Jaehyun rolled his eyes, ‘we’ve all seen Ten wasted.’

   ‘It takes a crate of liquor to get me there, though,’ Ten said smugly.

   ‘True,’ Jaehyun conceded. ‘More than it takes Johnny. What is it? Three pints before you’re staggering around? All six feet of you?’

   Johnny threw a handful of sand at him.

   Taeyong dodged some of the debris, and listened to them rib at each other for a while, looking back over to the shore where Mark and Donghyuck were messing around in the water. They’d gone out a little deeper, swimming, enough to make him straighten up, hand flying up to his mouth so that he could chew nervously at his nail.

   His eyes narrowed, hand falling away, as he saw Mark duck under the water.

   ‘Jae…’ he started, grabbing his knee.

   Jaehyun finished his laugh with Johnny before looking down. ‘What, babe?’

   ‘ _Jae_ ,’ he repeated, ‘Jae, Mark didn’t come back up.’ He was already standing, feet carrying him towards the water, heart turned to a racing thud that he was sure was going to knock him out.

   ‘ _Fuck_!’ Jaehyun jumped up quicker, throwing away his drink, and his best friend was just as agile.

   ‘Flash rip!’ Johnny called out.

   Johnny sprinted to the water so quickly that he passed him like a bullet, making his hair ripple. Taeyong had never seen him move like that. Jaehyun took a second longer, just long enough to grab Ten’s arm. ‘Look after Tae!’

   But Taeyong was already running.

   It wasn’t going to happen again.

   He wasn’t going to let it happen again.

   He was small, but remarkably fast. He’d always been quick, swift, light on his feet. He hit the sea before Jaehyun, cold water splashing up around his ankles, and then he faltered, sickness rising right up in his throat. He took a step back, blood thundering in his head, and then a step forwards, arms wrapping around himself as though they could hold him back from going further. He felt tears, hot on his face, as he forced another step, but then surprisingly unyielding arms caught him from behind, hauling him back.

   If Taeyong was small but fast, Ten was small but strong.

   ‘Let me go!’ he cried, panic a vice on his chest.

   ‘Don’t be silly, sweetpea, let them handle it,’ Ten breathed in his ear, ‘there’s nothing you’ll be able to do.’

   He fought, but feebly.

   His mind was a mess, desperate to get back out of the water, desperate to get into the water.

   It was the longest few minutes of his life.

   Ten pulled him back onto the sand, eventually letting one arm go when he seemed to accept that he wasn’t going to run away, and stroked his hair gently instead, whispering over and over that it would be okay.

   Except how could it be?

   Every neuron in Taeyong’s brain was firing that nothing would ever be okay again.

   And it was all his fault.

   All his fault for bringing him here.

   The on-duty lifeguards were too slow, way too slow, so slow that Taeyong wanted to shout at them as they followed. But he couldn’t find words. He just prayed – prayed that his Jae would be better.

   Finally, _finally,_ Ten let him go fully as Johnny staggered out of the water, an arm tight around Donghyuck’s waist. The smaller boy was coughing, but seemed relatively unharmed.

   Taeyong closed the distance between them, throwing his arms tightly around Donghyuck.

   ‘The _idiot_ went after him,’ Johnny muttered to Ten, running a furious hand through his hair. ‘Thought he’d launch his very own rescue.’

   The words made Taeyong hold him tighter.

   ‘I’d go after _you_ ,’ Ten whispered. Johnny kissed his forehead, looking back out to the sea.

   ‘Jae’s got him, Taeyong, don’t worry,’ Johnny extended a hand to his shoulder, squeezing gently. ‘He’s a stronger swimmer than me.’

   _Don’t worry_.

   It was the most ludicrous suggestion he’d ever heard.

   He watched, not letting go of Donghyuck’s now shivering body, hardly daring to hope as he saw Jaehyun rise out of the waves, walking rather than swimming, dragging Mark with him.

   Mark seemed… half-able, to walk.

   Which meant he wasn’t unconscious.

   ‘Mark!’ Donghyuck pulled free and launched himself at his friend.

   Taeyong took a stumbling step forwards, unable to make his limbs work properly. Mark choked up what seemed like a gallon of water, then flopped to his knees, gasping.

   ‘Get it all out,’ Jaehyun murmured, negotiating a space around Donghyuck’s clinging form so that he could hit Mark’s back, causing him to cough up another hacking splutter of seawater.

   Taeyong dropped beside them, taking Mark’s hands into his and gripping them more fiercely than he’d ever held anything in his life. He felt dizzy, black spots flickering in his vision.

   ‘I should go back out,’ Johnny started, ‘a couple of other people got caught up.’

   ‘It’s fine,’ Jaehyun shook his head, ‘the boys have got it under control now. Can you get a warning sign?’

   ‘Yeah, yeah of course.’

   Taeyong wanted to pull his cousin into him, wanted to hold him in his arms and remind himself that he was _alive_ , but he couldn’t get between him and Donghyuck. The younger of the two had Mark in such a tight grasp that he thought that _he_ might end up choking him. As Taeyong watched, he saw Donghyuck press a kiss to his cheek, even as Mark jumped.

   Taeyong sat back.

   He wasn’t going to intrude on _that_ moment.

   ‘You went in the water.’

   He looked up, heart still thudding, as Jaehyun knelt beside him. ‘No I didn’t,’ he whispered.

   ‘Uh, yeah, you did.’

   ‘Not deep enough. I couldn’t help,’ he mumbled.

   ‘Christ, Tae, you were amazing,’ Jaehyun breathed. ‘I’m so fucking proud of you.’

   ‘What happened?’ he asked, before he could turn red.

   ‘Riptide. They’re crazy strong spontaneous currents that can crop up out of nowhere. We don’t usually get them on this beach, but it happens. They’re actually not so dangerous if you know how to deal with them, but most people don’t. They panic. That’s probably why Mark swallowed so much water. I’m gonna give him a 101 course in water safety as soon as he recovers, I promise.’

   ‘Do we need to take him to hospital? I think we should take him to hospital.’

   ‘I’m sure he’ll be fine,’ Jaehyun held his hand, glancing back at the two boys. ‘But we can take him to the medical centre nearby. My mate Kun runs it – he’ll take care of him.’

   ‘Don’t tell my mom!’

   Taeyong turned in surprise. At last spotting an opening, he shifted next to Mark, pulling him into a hug.

   ‘Please, hyung, she’ll never let us surf again.’

   ‘We’ll talk about it later,’ Taeyong said softly.

   ‘Hyung, I’m sorry. I’m so sorry.’

   ‘It’s okay. You’re okay, Hyuck’s okay. We’re all okay.’

   _Apart from me_ , Taeyong thought. He wasn’t sure his heart would ever recover.

*

   Jaehyun paced back and forth in Kun’s small office, much to Johnny’s irritation. He didn’t like not having Taeyong with him. He knew that Mark would be fine – he’d had worse incidents himself in the water and he’d never come away with more than a few bruises and a bit of nausea – Kun would look after him. But right now, there wasn’t anyone to look after Taeyong. He wanted to be there, to reassure him, to support him through what he knew would be a terrible crash once his adrenaline finally dropped.

   But he had to wait.

   ‘I can’t believe that happened,’ he muttered. ‘We never get rips.’

   ‘I know, it’s fucking typical that out of everyone, Tae’s cousin would get caught up in it.’

   Jaehyun looked down. Johnny didn’t know the half of it. He didn’t know what a cruel twist of fate it really was.

   ‘My heart was in my fucking mouth. You know I never get stressed on the job, but those kids are like my little brothers already.’

   At this, Jaehyun smiled. Johnny liked to act blithe, but he knew that he was the biggest softie in the world on the inside.  

   They both looked up as the door opened, and Jaehyun felt himself settle as Taeyong stepped inside, crossing over to him automatically. Jaehyun put his arm around his shoulder, kissing his temple. ‘Are they alright?’ he asked Kun, the one doctor he trusted most in the world.

   ‘They’ll be fine,’ he smiled. ‘ _This_ one,’ he nodded at Mark, ‘needs a couple of days to rest. No surfing. And he’ll probably feel pretty sick, but there wasn’t any loss of oxygen. Seems like he knew to keep his head up, and he must have kept pretty calm. He didn’t swallow as much water as he could have.’

   ‘Yeah, well, I did teach them _some_ things,’ Johnny said loudly.

   ‘Just take it easy for a couple of days. _Both_ of you,’ Kun ordered.

   Mark and Donghyuck nodded in unison.

    ‘Alright, let’s go home,’ Taeyong said. His voice was still slightly shaky – Jaehyun could hear it.

   ‘You want me to come with you?’ Jaehyun asked. ‘I can stay over.’

   Taeyong looked up at him with tired but ever-bright eyes. ‘Yeah, yes please.’

   ‘I’m gonna go find Ten, tell him everything’s okay,’ said Johnny. ‘I’ll see you guys tomorrow, maybe?’

   ‘Maybe,’ Taeyong whispered. ‘Thank you so much, Johnny.’

   ‘Oh it was nothing,’ he waved an airy hand.

   ‘Thank you so much, Jae,’ he said then, and Jaehyun pulled him close to his chest.

   ‘How about… a relaxing holiday, for the rest of summer?’ he suggested, thinking that Taeyong wouldn’t be the only one who’d prefer everyone to stay on the sand for a while. He wasn’t sure he’d come down entirely from the stress himself, yet.

   Finally, Taeyong managed a smile. ‘I think I’d like that.’

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [Twitter](https://twitter.com/taemayy)   
>  [Curiouscat](https://curiouscat.me/mayviolet)


	7. Chapter 7

   It had taken a week.

   One week.

   And then Mark and Donghyuck were back in the water.

   It wasn’t exactly Taeyong’s dream scenario to return to, but he couldn’t exactly say no when Mark had asked. After all, the last thing he wanted was for them to end up avoiding the water forever like he had. _No_ , he’d assured himself in their rented apartment, _it’s better if they get back in the saddle._

   ‘Is there something wrong with me?’ Taeyong whispered as he thought back on this, eyes cast over the shoreline.

   ‘What do you mean, babe?’ Jaehyun was massaging his shoulders, smiling every time that Taeyong let out a sigh he couldn’t quite hold back. Now though, Taeyong looked sad.

   ‘Mark could have drowned and he’s back in the water after a few days. I… It’s been years and I still can’t even - ’

   Jaehyun sat up properly, letting go of him. ‘There’s nothing wrong with you. _Nothing_.’

   ‘Then why - ’

   ‘Kids bounce back,’ Jaehyun shrugged.

   ‘I was way younger than them when it happened. I was an _actual_ kid.’

   Jaehyun looked at him seriously. ‘Yongie, what you went through was different. Completely different. You can’t compare yourself to them.’

   ‘I want to be able to have _fun_ like they are,’ he mumbled, watching Donghyuck jump on Mark’s back, the older wading around the shallows with Donghyuck’s arms hooked around his neck.

   ‘Then let’s go and have fun! Johnny’s not going to take his eyes off them ever again, I think he’s ready to adopt them, so you don’t need to worry. We’ll find something to do on the island.’

   ‘But Jae… being here has made me realise… I want to be able to laugh and yell at you when you splash me with too much water and it gets into my hair. I want you to be able to teach me to surf. I want to be able to kiss you when we’re out in the water and you’ve got your arms around me and - ’ He stopped as he started to turn very red at the confession. ‘I want to be able to go in the water.’

   Jaehyun took a moment just to look at him. ‘Then we’ll get there. Rome wasn’t built in a day. Baby steps, okay?’

   Suddenly, even though it had really been his suggestion, Taeyong felt nervous. ‘Like… like what?’

   ‘How about something you already know you can do?’ Jaehyun was already standing, putting down his drink, and taking Taeyong’s hands in his.

   ‘Like what?’ Taeyong repeated, confused.

   ‘Take your shoes off,’ Jaehyun instructed.

   ‘Oh Jae I’m scared,’ Taeyong said softly, tucking his feet up under him as though he could protect them, realising what his boyfriend meant.

   ‘Then we don’t have to do anything. It’s up to you, babe. Just let me know.’

   Taeyong gripped his hands tightly, and climbed to his feet, kicking off his shoes. ‘Hold my hand, okay?’

   Jaehyun gave a soft laugh. ‘Like I’d ever let go.’

   He guided him carefully down to the waterfront, walking backwards on the sand, until they were inches from where the waves were rippling up onto the beach. Taeyong watched the ebbing, eyes wide, swallowing hard.

   He wanted to do it.

   He wanted to show Mark that he could recover too. He wanted to fall in love with the water the way his parents always had. He wanted to not be _scared_ for the rest of his life.

   ‘You came in this far the other day,’ Jaehyun said calmly, stepping back until he was calf deep in the water, ‘when you ran after Mark. You’ve already done it once – you can do it again.’

   Taeyong jumped when the cool wave chased up over the tips of his toes, and took a step back, heart beating very fast.

   He told himself that this was barely touching. It wasn’t swimming, it wasn’t diving. It was no different to standing in the shower. Nothing bad was going to happen to him in one inch of water. Especially not with Jaehyun there.

   A deep breath, and he stepped onto the wet sediment, the heavier sand where the water had drenched it, feet sinking slightly. Each wave now splashed up around his feet, playing at his ankles, cool and friendly and vaguely melodic. It didn’t feel… dangerous.

   ‘Feels nice, right?’ Jaehyun smiled.

   Taeyong’s laugh was shaky, but he nodded. ‘Yes,’ he whispered.

   ‘Now,’ Jaehyun murmured, putting his hands on his waist and pivoting him on the spot until he was angled sideways instead of looking out, ‘we can walk.’

   It took most of Taeyong’s concentration to keep his heartrate under control for all of about thirty seconds, but then he… settled. It _was_ nice. And Jaehyun was on the side of the open ocean, a barrier between him and all of the danger that lurked invisibly beyond. If he closed his eyes, led only by Jaehyun’s hold on him, he could access a distant memory from a past that had started to feel like a different lifetime. He wasn’t going into the water for the first time, after all, he was going back to it.

   ‘Thank you, Jae,’ he swallowed, squashing in close to him.

   ‘For what?’ he smiled. ‘I haven’t done anything. This is all you.’

   ‘I never thought I’d ever be able to do this.’

   ‘My fairy becomes a nymph,’ Jaehyun grinned.

   Taeyong pushed him in the side, pulling a face. ‘I’m not going _swimming_.’ Then – ‘Really. I’m not… I’m not ready for that.’

   ‘Of course not, Yongie. Baby steps, remember? This summer is all about dipping your toes.’

   ‘Literally,’ Taeyong said, looking down at the little waves rolling over his feet.

   ‘Besides, if you were going to swim, I’d take you to a pool. At first. No currents to worry about.’

   ‘And no _sharks_ ,’ Taeyong gave a theatrical shudder, making Jaehyun laugh.

   They walked and they walked and Taeyong had the impression that Jaehyun would keep walking with him forever if necessary.

   But there were other things he wanted to do too.

   ‘Can I come back to yours, tonight?’ Taeyong asked quietly. ‘I reckon Mark and Hyuck can survive one night by themselves.’

   Jaehyun looked at him in surprise. ‘Oh yeah. Sure.’

   ‘Will you be able to get rid of Johnny?’ he gave him a very shy smile.

   Comprehension figured its way onto Jaehyun’s face. ‘ _Oh._ Oh _yeah_. Oh… I’ll… I’ll send him to Ten’s.’

   ‘Cool,’ he nodded, heart fluttering like butterfly wings.

   Jaehyun inclined down and kissed his forehead. ‘I’m so glad I met you this summer, Taeyong.’

   ‘I’m gladder,’ Taeyong beamed. He couldn’t stop thinking about the tickle of water over his toes.

   Everything had changed.

*

   ‘I haven’t got like… any candles,’ Jaehyun muttered, crashing around his condo with a lack of grace that suggested nerves. He didn’t want to act like a clumsy teenager, but something about Taeyong still made him feel inelegant by comparison. This night should be perfect. Taeyong deserved perfect. _Fuck_ , why couldn’t he have tidied up some time over summer?

   ‘We don’t need candles,’ said Taeyong, with a sweet, fond smile. ‘I’m pretty sure the only prerequisites are… you and me.’

   ‘I’ve heard a bed helps,’ said Jaehyun. He prayed that his voice didn’t sound too shaky. He poured out a pre-made cocktail, crushing the can, and held the glass out to Taeyong. ‘Do you want me to cook you something? I can make us dinner and - ’

   ‘After,’ Taeyong whispered, taking a sip of his drink before closing the gap between them. He pressed his lips to Jaehyun’s, warm and soft at their core but with a cool wetness on the surface, with a faint taste of cranberry from his cosmopolitan.

   Sometimes, when Taeyong kissed him, he remembered what he’d said to him in the car after they’d visited the waterfalls: that Taeyong wasn’t as innocent as he looked. He was so shy, so delicate, so seemingly fragile, but he had a passion about him that made Jaehyun’s blood run hotter, his heart faster. Taeyong might be shy with other people, but when they were kissing, there was an addictive boldness.

   Jaehyun pulled Taeyong against him until their bodies were as close as they could be, kissing him back with fervour. Taeyong was so small, so fine, so easy to wrap up in his arms, slotting against him like he was made to fit there. When Taeyong let out a sighing breath as they split apart, Jaehyun lifted him easily, hands shifting to the backs of his thighs as Taeyong wrapped his legs around his waist.

   He carried him easily, like he was weightless, through the apartment to the bedroom.

   ‘Fuck, Taeyong,’ he exhaled, kissing him again. Every kiss was heavier, more desperate. Had they really only known each other one summer? Jaehyun felt as though he’d waited a lifetime for this moment.

   Taeyong nuzzled into his neck as Jaehyun dropped him down ever so gently to the bed. Jaehyun never wore shirts around the beach – one less item to remove by the time they’d got home – but he took great care over Taeyong’s. He pulled at the silky ribbon, bowed around his throat, freeing Taeyong’s pretty clavicles and tracing his fingers over them. Taeyong angled towards him so that he could pull the shirt over his head, before laying back and lifting his hips to kick out of his shorts.

   ‘Are you sure?’

   Taeyong nodded. ‘Please, Jae,’ he whispered, ‘I want you.’

   _God_ Jaehyun wanted to take his time over every second of this. He wanted to love every inch of Taeyong’s body – smooth, soft skin; the sweetest little waist that he wanted to take a hold of; every line that was just as striking as those on his face.

   ‘You’re so beautiful, Yongie,’ he said against his skin, kissing a line down his chest.

   Taeyong made a sound that sent a flood of heat to his navel. He couldn’t wait to hear him unravel for him, to _watch_ him unravel.

   ‘Are you _definitely_ sure?’ he checked one more time, fingers already playing over the skin of Taeyong’s thighs as he met his dark eyes.

   ‘Get on with it, Jae. We haven’t got all summer,’ Taeyong said, those stunning eyes sparkling as they crinkled.

   ‘No, but we’ll have Fall. And Christmas,’ Jaehyun breathed, sitting back to kick away the last of his clothes and smiling at the way that Taeyong sighed happily. ‘And New Year. And _next_ summer.’

   He reclaimed Taeyong’s lips, even as he started to touch him so much more intimately, because above all, he’d always thought that Taeyong was so very kissable.

   So very beautiful.

*

   ‘My drink’s gone warm,’ Taeyong murmured.

   The whole room was hot. He thought about telling Jaehyun to go and open the window, but he didn’t want him to move. He was settled back against him, framed between his legs, probably his favourite place in the world these days. His head was a little dazed in a post-sex haze, but he could feel the rise and fall of Jaehyun’s chest against his back. He drew a small heart in the condensation on the side of his glass.

   ‘Well I do apologise.’

   ‘Don’t,’ Taeyong closed his eyes, twisting onto his side so that he could curl up better against him. ‘That was… that was amazing.’

   ‘You’re amazing,’ Jaehyun smiled. He tilted sideways to kiss his cheek. ‘What do you want me to make you for dinner?’

   Taeyong pouted. ‘You’re going to leave me?’

   ‘The kitchen is five steps away, babe.’

   ‘Five steps too far.’

   ‘Mm,’ Jaehyun gave a sound of agreement.

   ‘Busan is very far.’

   He looked down, lips parting in surprise.

   Taeyong shifted against him, knowing that his pout had gone from something cute to something real. He didn’t _want_ Jaehyun to be hours away. He didn’t _want_ to have to talk to him down the phone instead of seeing him every day. No amount of special, romantic words could replace the feeling of being in Jaehyun’s arms – _or_ the feeling of being so intrinsically connected to him as he had been minutes earlier.

   ‘I have to leave in three days,’ Taeyong mumbled.

   ‘You know what’s going to happen when we get home? The _first_ weekend that you’re back at college, I’m gonna drive up. I’m gonna show you that even when I’m wearing more clothes and drinking less beer, I can still make you feel like the most precious boy alive, okay?’

   Taeyong laughed softly, squeezing his eyes tighter shut as he pictured the scene.

   ‘Then in your mid-semester break, I’m gonna drive up again, but this time I’m gonna bring Johnny and Ten, if Johnny can coax him off the island for a few days, and we’ll go on a road-trip somewhere. For old times’ sake. Then I’m going to book you a flight to Busan for a long weekend, and we’ll walk along the beach together and you’ll be twice your normal weight because winter will be coming and I can already imagine how many layers you probably wrap around yourself in the cold, but I’ll lift you up and kiss you at sunset nonetheless. Then, when Christmas comes, I’m going to book us a trip to the Taebaek Mountains. Can you ski?’

   Taeyong shook his head. ‘I bet you’ll teach me.’

   ‘Damn right I will. Obviously we’ll only stay just up to before Christmas Day because I know you’ll want to be with your aunt and uncle and Mark on Christmas. But we’ll celebrate anyway. I’ll kiss you under the mistletoe, and not under the mistletoe, because honestly I’m just going to kiss you everywhere. Every day that we’re apart, I’m going to save up kisses. Then, when we’re together again, I’m going to pay you back tenfold.’

   ‘You’re not going to forget about me?’ Taeyong mumbled.

   ‘How on earth could I forget about you when I’ve been falling in love with you for weeks, Lee Taeyong?’

   At this, Taeyong’s heart seemed to still for a second. Finally, only because he knew that Jaehyun was waiting by the way he tensed slightly, he choked out some words. ‘You’ve… you’ve been… doing that?’

   ‘From the second I met you. I didn’t know it was possible to fall in love so fast.’

   Taeyong squished in against his chest, happiness radiating from his heart to his fingertips. ‘I thought it was just me.’

   Jaehyun exhaled in relief. ‘Does it… does it all sound good?’

   Taeyong nodded.

   Jaehyun pulled the bed sheets up around him, even though he could probably look at Taeyong’s naked back all day every day for the rest of his life and never tire of the beautiful arch. ‘And _then_ , next summer, we’re going to come back here. Mark will have _finally_ asked out his friend, so they’ll be busy running around the island doing all the romantic things _we_ did this year - ’

   Taeyong laughed, surprised that Jaehyun had noticed.

   ‘ – and we’ll lay on the beach every day, celebrating our one-year anniversary. Johnny will have finished his last semester at college so he’ll move to Jeju at last and live with Ten and the cats, so we’ll have this place all to ourselves. We’ll go down to the water, and you’ll wade in to your waist while we’re working on those baby steps.’

   ‘I graduate school next summer too,’ Taeyong whispered. ‘Maybe… maybe I could - ’

   ‘You know Busan is _really_ nice, right?’ Jaehyun said quickly, before he could even finish.

   Taeyong pulled a face of mock pondering. ‘Hmm, I’ve heard the people are alright, I suppose.’

   ‘“Amazing”, I think you called me a minute ago,’ Jaehyun said smugly.

   ‘I’ll pass another judgment after you cook dinner,’ Taeyong yawned. He rolled off him, and onto his back, taking the sheets into his hands and pulling them so high that they covered the lower half of his face.

   Jaehyun grinned. ‘Are all those plans off if it isn’t good enough?’

   ‘We’ll see.’

   Jaehyun shook his head with a smile. ‘I’ll get you another drink. It did get hot in here.’ He swung his legs off the bed, skipping back to kiss Taeyong one more time.

   Taeyong drained his glass. Cocktails, love, and a dinner cooked by the boyfriend he never intended to find?

   He couldn’t help but think that summer had worked out rather well.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [Twitter](https://twitter.com/taemayy)   
>  [Curiouscat](https://curiouscat.me/mayviolet)


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow the time is here! What to say? This is the last chapter of this fic and honestly I have enjoyed writing it so much over summer <3 Thank you all so much who have read and commented and left kudos, I’m so glad people enjoyed it, and I hope you like the last chapter as well!!  
> I’ll see you in the next fic ^-^  
> xx

   There were several things on Jeju island that could make Taeyong stop dead in his tracks. The waterfalls, for one; the view from the cliffs, for another. But across the entirety of the weeks he’d spent there over summer, nothing hit him quite as hard as the sight when they stepped out into the tiny, hidden cove, Jaehyun pulling him along by the hand.

   ‘Surprise,’ Jaehyun breathed, lifting his hand to his lips and pressing a kiss to his knuckles.

   ‘You did this?’ Taeyong choked.

   Jaehyun shrugged. ‘Ten helped.’

   Set on the sand, there was a small canopy, propped up by an elaborate wood construction that could only have been Jaehyun’s work because Taeyong doubted Ten would have a talent for carpentry. Under the awning, there was a mini-bar, absolutely covered with bottles and glasses, and piles and piles of blankets and pillows laid on the sand.

   ‘I just provided the alcohol,’ Ten said from behind them. He too had managed to climb his way out of the rocky passage that led to the secret beach. ‘And my barman to keep an eye on it all day.’

   ‘Do you like it?’ Jaehyun asked.

   ‘This… this is for me?’

   ‘Of course it’s for you, babe.’

   Taeyong just stared, in complete astonishment.

   ‘ _Now_ , I’m having a mini party at the bar,’ said Ten briskly, ‘since Tae and Mark and Hyuckie are all leaving before my big end of summer party, so we’ll be _just_ down the stretch. But I know you don’t like parties, TY, so don’t feel like you have to come. Johnny and I will be sure to deliver these two to you in the morning if you decide to… er… fall asleep, here.’

   Taeyong turned red.

   Johnny put an arm around Ten’s shoulders, before jerking his head to the east. ‘Come on then!’

   Mark and Donghyuck, apparently just excited to be going to a party, gave Taeyong a quick wave, running to catch up with Johnny and Ten as they set off. ‘See you in the morning, hyung!’ Mark yelled half-heartedly over his shoulder.

   ‘See you,’ Taeyong said breathlessly.

   He watched them go, looking closely as they reached a narrow path that would help them through to the other side of the rocks. Donghyuck hopped up first, holding out a hand to help Mark up after him. It didn’t escape Taeyong’s notice, that once they were stable, they didn’t let go of each other’s hands.

   ‘You’re all mine, now,’ Jaehyun exhaled, kissing his temple. ‘I’ve been waiting for a moment to ourselves all day.’

   Taeyong nodded.

   His final day on the island had been incredible. Thrilling. The six of them had spent every hour together, right from the early morning, doing every last thing that was left on the island after weeks of excitement.

   Towards the afternoon, though, Taeyong had started to crave this moment. This moment alone with his boyfriend. The boyfriend who, after tomorrow, was going to be a couple of hundred _miles_ away.

   Jaehyun always knew what he wanted.

   ‘I can’t believe you arranged this,’ he whispered.

   ‘Jeju’s going to miss you, darling,’ Jaehyun sighed. ‘I thought we’d better see _one more_ special place before you go. Shall we?’

   He took his hand, guiding him to the little spot of paradise that he’d prepared.

   ‘Something sweet?’ he suggested, for perhaps the hundredth time, as he went over to the drinks.

  ‘I suppose so,’ Taeyong smiled.

   Jaehyun looked at him, wondering how on earth he was going to survive days, even weeks on end, without seeing that smile. It wouldn’t be the same on video. He needed Taeyong there with him, needed to be able to feel the warmth, the passion, the affection that radiated from his body when he was sat right in front of him. _Just wait_ , he told himself, _he’ll be done with college in a year._

   He’d spent a considerable amount of their last days together visualising Taeyong coming to live in Busan with him.

   Or maybe he’d wait another year and go to live in Seoul with him instead.

   _The city._ The thought made him shudder. But he’d do it if it meant being with Taeyong.

   ‘What are you thinking about?’ Taeyong asked when he passed him his drink and sat down on the blankets beside him.

   ‘Just how I’m going to have to learn to love the city,’ he pulled a face.

   ‘Oh Jae, Seoul is wonderful.’

   Jaehyun shrugged. ‘It’s cool. It’ll be amazing if you’re there. Anywhere would be amazing if you were there.’

   Taeyong’s eyes curved into gentle half-moons as he smiled happily. ‘I’ll make a city-lover out of you yet.’

   Jaehyun wrapped his arm around his shoulders, pulling him close.

   For a while, neither of them spoke. They didn’t need to. They settled into a silence so loaded that the air around them was saturated with feeling. It was night, and quiet, the sound of the main beach completely muffled by the surrounding rocks. It wasn’t too dark – Ten must have repurposed some of his fairy lights because their little sanctuary was swathed in them.

   It was dark enough, though, that shadows fell across Taeyong’s face, making the lines stand out more ferociously in silhouette.

   ‘Have I told you how beautiful you are?’

   Taeyong probably blushed, but it might just have been the pink glow from some of the lights. ‘You _might_ have mentioned it once or twice.’

   ‘Seriously, Yongie, you’re like a work of art.’

   ‘Thanks, Jae,’ he said shyly, putting down his drink so that he could snuggle in closer to him, tucking his head up under his chin. ‘You’re not bad either.’

   ‘Oh yeah?’ Jaehyun grinned, holding him tightly. ‘Would you say you… ah… have a little bit of a crush on me?’

   ‘Hmm,’ Taeyong drew his knees up his chest, nudging at Jaehyun’s arms to encourage him to wrap them around his whole body rather than just his torso. ‘You’re not bad. Definitely my type. I could _maybe_ see myself going on a date with you.’

   ‘You know, you never answered my question that time when I _did_ ask you out on a date: do you have a boyfriend?’ Jaehyun teased.

   ‘I’d say so,’ Taeyong smiled.

   ‘You know, the first time I saw you, I was so scared to ask you out. I thought you looked _way_ too well-put-together for a guy like me. You looked like a boy who needed to be courted. I didn’t know if I’d be any good at that. I thought you’d think I was too loud and direct and - ’

   Taeyong silenced him in a kiss. He twisted in his lap, arms wrapping around his neck until he was clinging on as tight as a koala, like he never wanted to let him go. Jaehyun kissed him back like _he_ never wanted to let him go, all breath and heat and a fervour that made Taeyong’s heart tremble. Jaehyun rolled him onto his back, knocking his drink over, but neither of them noticed, hovering over him to pepper softer kisses over his face.

   ‘God, Taeyong, I can’t believe you walked into my life like this. It’s a miracle. You’re a miracle.’

   ‘I love you, Jae,’ Taeyong whispered.

   Jaehyun propped himself on one arm so that he could stroke down his face. ‘I love you more, pretty boy.’

   He sat back, pulling Taeyong with him.

   ‘You said it first,’ he said, after a moment’s pause.

   ‘Huh?’

   ‘You said _I-love-you_ first.’

   ‘No I didn’t. You said it back in your apartment.’

   ‘Ah, I said I was _falling_ in love with you. There’s a difference.’

   Taeyong flushed, and this time it definitely wasn’t just the lights. ‘No there’s not.’

   ‘Yes there is,’ Jaehyun grinned. ‘ _You_ said it first.’

   Taeyong gave him a playful push like he always did, but then Jaehyun caught his hands, eyes suddenly alight with attention.

   ‘Over there!’ he breathed.

   Taeyong looked out over the water at where he’d glanced, where he was now fixated.

   ‘Are they - ’

   ‘Dolphins,’ he nodded.

   Taeyong stared, eyes wide in the darkness. It was almost impossible to see, but if he concentrated, he could process the way that the moonlight glanced off the waves, and the way that the arches of silver disrupted the pattern, slipping in and out of the water like the most elegant of ghosts.

   ‘Oh my God, Jae.’

   ‘I was going to take you to see them, early on. Out on my friend’s boat. Before I knew - ’

   Taeyong nodded.

   ‘They don’t usually come close enough to see from the beaches. I think they’ve come right here just for you.’

   It was an ethereal experience. It almost made Taeyong want to go to the water, to be with them. But he swallowed. ‘I can never go on a boat, Jae. Not ever. Even once I swim, I can’t.’

   ‘Of course, of course not, my love,’ Jaehyun kissed his hair, turning away from the shore. The dolphins were nice, but there could be no vision of beauty comparable to the way that Taeyong looked tonight.

   ‘It’s like everything worked out,’ Taeyong said, turning to him too. ‘I got my toes in the water. I got the dolphins. And I got the guy.’

   ‘A successful summer, then?’

   ‘Yeah, yeah I think so.’

   ‘It’s the best of my life,’ said Jaehyun. It was true. He’d spent less time in the water this summer than any before, but he didn’t care. Weeks ago, he’d called the ocean his lover. Now, it was Taeyong. Everything was Taeyong.

   ‘Til next summer,’ Taeyong said slyly. ‘I expect us to top this!’

   Jaehyun smiled. ‘I’m sure we can think of a way.’

*

   At the airport, Taeyong was upset.

   He couldn’t help it. He’d told himself, _sworn_ to himself, that he wouldn’t get emotional. It was stupid - he’d be seeing Jaehyun in a couple of weeks. But it wasn’t just saying goodbye to him, it was saying goodbye to _everything_. It was saying goodbye to Ten, and to Johnny, and to the beach. It was saying goodbye to no college work to worry about, and cocktails at midday, and lazy mornings in Jaehyun’s arms.

   ‘Hey, hey Yongie, don’t cry,’ Jaehyun murmured, stroking his cheeks. ‘I’m gonna see you in a couple of weeks.’

   ‘I’m not crying,’ Taeyong sniffed, standing up taller. ‘I swear.’

   Jaehyun gave him a gentle kiss and ran his fingers loosely through his hair, taking a long moment just to take in the look of him.

   ‘Will you get me some candy for the plane?’ Taeyong asked. Jaehyun looked slightly surprised, but then he nodded, walking straight over to the nearest kiosk. Taeyong rounded quickly on Johnny, who was saying goodbye to Mark and Donghyuck. ‘Johnny, would you do something for me?’

   ‘Er, sure?’ he shrugged.

   ‘Here.’ He pulled out the giant square that he’d managed to wedge into the front of his travel bag. ‘Will you give this to Jae once I’m gone? Maybe on the beach?’

   ‘What is it?’ Johnny asked, going to take it out of its wrapping.

   ‘Don’t!’ Taeyong said quickly. He wanted Jaehyun to be the first to see it. ‘It’s… it’s a painting.’

   ‘Ten, shove it in my backpack will you?’ Johnny glanced over to check that Jaehyun was still busy.

   Once it was in there, Taeyong whispered. ‘Thank you so much.’

   ‘No problem,’ Johnny grinned. ‘He’ll like that you’ve left him a present.’

   It was a portrait. A portrait that had taken Taeyong most of his holiday to complete. It had started as a sketch on the beach, but he couldn’t stop thinking about it. A simple sketch of Jaehyun’s face had become a _painting_ of Jaehyun’s face. He’d added to it only a tiny bit each day, fine little details that he picked up from knowing him longer – the way that he tended to smile out of the right side of his mouth; the way that his hair touched just over his eyes when it was wet after surfing.

   ‘See you soon, TY!’ said Johnny, pulling him into a bear hug so stifling that Taeyong wondered how Ten survived them on the regular. He knew the answer: Ten and Johnny were made for each other – Ten fit just perfectly in against him when they embraced like this.

   ‘See you, Johnny,’ he smiled, exhaling when he released him. ‘And you, Ten.’

   Ten pulled him into a tight hug too, though in a different way. He wasn’t so overwhelming, but his arms as always were vicelike, and his face squashed right in against Taeyong’s as he spoke into his ear. ‘I’m so happy you came to Jeju, sweet-pea. By next summer we’re going to be best friends!’

   ‘Definitely,’ Taeyong laughed. He didn’t feel so sad anymore. He knew that he’d see everyone again soon.

   ‘Alright, you two, give him to me,’ Jaehyun announced, swooping in and pulling Taeyong into his arms instead. ‘I love you, Yongie,’ he breathed, pressing his lips to his forehead and keeping them there for so long that Taeyong was worried he’d get emotional again. ‘And I’ll see you in two weeks, okay?’

   He nodded, nestling in against his chest.

   ‘I’ll text you as soon as your flight lists as landed,’ Jaehyun promised.

   ‘Love you,’ Taeyong mumbled into his shirt.

   He didn’t move until they gave the final announcement for their flight, and then he sighed.

   ‘Have a good flight,’ said Jaehyun, giving him one last _long_ kiss, to the lips this time, until Johnny actually wolf-whistled, _not_ for the first time.

   ‘Put the boy down, Jae, he’ll miss his flight!’

   Jaehyun let go of him holding onto his hand for as long as possible before Taeyong had to let go, turning his hold to a wave instead.

   Taeyong actually looked down, laughing shyly, as they made their way through their gate. The three of them left behind were being _very_ loud, yelling after them.

   ‘They’re embarrassing,’ Mark mused, glancing over his shoulder to watch the beach delegation jumping up and down waving.

   Taeyong smiled. ‘They’re perfect.’

*

   It was only a short flight back to Seoul. Too short. So short that when they stepped off the plane, Taeyong could hardly believe why Jeju already felt a million miles away.

   His aunt picked them up, looking extremely excited to hear everything that had happened.

   ‘Good summer?’ she questioned airily, with a certain weight to the words.    

   Taeyong glanced automatically at Mark, narrowing his eyes. He had very carefully kept Jaehyun’s name out of his messages – he couldn’t bear to face the smugness when his _maybe-you’ll-meet-a-nice-guy_ aunt and uncle found out that he’d got himself a boyfriend after all; after _all_ of his remonstrations. No matter how much he protested, they _always_ seemed to know what was best for him.

   Mark looked away awkwardly.

   ‘What did Mark _tell_ you?’ he said, tone a little dangerous.

   ‘Nothing in particular,’ she shrugged. ‘Did you spend lots of time on the beach?’

   ‘Yeah, yeah,’ said Mark, very quickly, ‘me and Hyuck got so good at surfing.’

   ‘Amazing,’ she smiled. ‘And you Taeyong? How did you spend _all_ that time on the beach?’

   ‘You know, I… er… kept myself entertained.’

   After a pause, she adopted a sly smile. ‘Entertaining, is he? Jaehyun?’

   ‘Oh come _on_!’ Taeyong groaned, giving his traitorous cousin a shove. ‘I told you not to say anything!’

   ‘She got it out of me!’ Mark said defensively.

   Taeyong buried his face in his hands, knowing that he’d turned red.

   ‘Is he _very_ handsome?’

   ‘I’ll show you a picture,’ Taeyong sighed. ‘You’ll probably get to meet him soon, anyway. He’s coming to Seoul in a couple of weeks.’

   ‘Oh my gosh! So you two are… serious? You’re going to stay in touch?’

   Taeyong took a deep breath. ‘I think he could be… you know… like… the one.’

   Mark, Donghyuck, _and_ his aunt all turned to look at him in complete shock.

   ‘Wow, hyung, I mean I knew you really liked him. But… you _really_ like him?’ Mark said, mouth open.

   Taeyong blushed even redder. ‘Stop looking at me! It’s embarrassing!’

   They all laughed, but his aunt decided to give him some reprieve, rounding on Mark and Donghyuck to ask them more questions about their holiday instead.

   Taeyong looked down as he felt his phone vibrate in his palm, flicking open the message in a split second when he saw the sender.

   **Jae (19:23):** Miss you already, my love. This place isn’t the same without you.

   Another notification popped up.

   Jaehyun had sent a photo.

   He was right back on the beach, his home for a couple more days, a cocktail in one hand and Taeyong’s portrait in the other, propped against his face as he imitated his expression from Taeyong’s likeness of him.

   **Jae (19:24):** Oh, and thanks for the painting, city boy.

   Taeyong pulled a face.

   **Taeyong (19:25):** I’ll have you in the city soon enough, beach boy.

   **Jae (19:26):** Two weeks. If you can survive that long without me.

   This time, Taeyong scoffed out loud. He was about to type a reply, when Jaehyun got there first.

   **Jae (19:27):** I don’t know if I’ll be able to survive that long without _you_.

   **Taeyong (19:28):** I’ll start stocking up on the salted caramel ice cream.

   **Jae (19:30):** Salted caramel? “Not-real-caramel”-salted-caramel? You’re bringing in the root of all evil just for me? Wow, babe, I know that will be hard for you. It must be true love.

   He smiled at the message, then glanced up to see that everyone was staring at him again.

   ‘Does he _always_ grin to himself like that when he’s talking to him?’ his aunt asked Mark in a mock stage whisper.

   ‘ _Yes_ ,’ Mark and Donghyuck said in unison.

   ‘Laugh all you want,’ he stood up straighter and puffed out his chest. ‘At least my boyfriend loves me!’

   _Loves me_.

   As his family linked arms, laughing together as he deflated back to calm, he thought that he couldn’t quite believe how his summer had gone.

   It was like a dream – like somewhere on the Jeju sand, the sun had sent him a special summer gift in the form of the loudest but gentlest, handsomest but humblest, most lovely but most _teasing_ lifeguard that the beach had ever seen.

   His dream guy.

   Now his _boyfriend._

   It was the end of the holiday, but it didn’t feel like it. 

   He had a hundred things to do with Jaehyun, a thousand questions he still wanted to ask about his life, too many things to _count_ that he wanted to learn about him. He felt like he was at the start of something, not the end.

   No, he was absolutely certain:    

   No matter what the season, every day with Jaehyun would feel like summer.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [Twitter](https://twitter.com/taemayy)   
>  [Curiouscat](https://curiouscat.me/mayviolet)


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